Meghalaya Honeymoon Murder Case: Bail, Supreme Court Challenge, and Death Penalty Demand
The Meghalaya honeymoon murder case involves Sonam Raghuvanshi, accused of conspiring with her lover and hired hitmen to kill her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, during their honeymoon in May 2025. His mutilated body was found in a gorge near Sohra. The Meghalaya High Court upheld Sonam’s bail due to procedural flaws in her arrest, prompting police to challenge this in the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the victim’s family demands the death penalty for all five accused.
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Meghalaya Police Challenge Sonam Raghuvanshi's Bail in Supreme Court
The Meghalaya Police have approached the Supreme Court seeking an immediate stay on the bail granted to Sonam Raghuvanshi, the prime accused in the murder of her husband Raja Raghuvanshi during their honeymoon. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued before a vacation bench that there is a risk of the accused absconding. The Meghalaya High Court had on June 29 upheld a trial court's order granting bail, ruling that the police failed to effectively communicate the grounds of her arrest, violating constitutional safeguards. The High Court described the error as reflecting 'total non-application of judicious mind' but clarified the finding was limited to arrest procedure legality. The Supreme Court has listed the matter for hearing on July 3, 2026.
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The Supreme Court of India on July 3, 2026, sought a response from Sonam Raghuvanshi, the prime accused in the murder of her husband Raja Raghuvanshi during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, on a petition filed by the state government challenging the grant of bail to her. A bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Sheel Nagu declined to stay the June 29 order of the Meghalaya High Court, which had upheld a Shillong trial court's decision granting bail due to the police's failure to effectively communicate the grounds of arrest. The court observed that the allegations were 'quite serious' and had 'reservations' about the High Court's reasoning, but noted that Raghuvanshi had already been released from custody. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued the case was a 'shocking' instance of premeditated murder, and that the grounds of arrest had been served. The bench issued notice and posted the matter for further hearing on July 9.
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The Meghalaya Police have moved the Supreme Court seeking an immediate stay on the bail granted to Sonam Raghuvanshi, the prime accused in the alleged murder of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, during their honeymoon in Meghalaya. The Meghalaya High Court on June 29 had upheld a trial court's order granting bail on the ground that police failed to effectively communicate the grounds of her arrest, citing a procedural violation of constitutional safeguards. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued before a vacation bench that the error was a typographical mistake and that there is a risk of the accused absconding. The High Court had noted the document communicating grounds of arrest was prepared without application of mind. The Supreme Court has listed the matter for hearing on July 3, 2026.
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A court in Meghalaya on April 29, 2026, reserved its decision on the bail plea of Raj Kushwaha, a key accused in the murder of Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi. Kushwaha is the alleged boyfriend of the victim's wife Sonam Raghuvanshi, who was granted bail a day earlier by the same court. Raghuvanshi went missing on May 23, 2025, during the couple's honeymoon in Meghalaya, and his mutilated body was found on June 2 from a gorge near a waterfall in Sohra. The autopsy revealed two sharp-object blows to the head. Meghalaya Police submitted a 790-page charge sheet in September 2025, naming eight accused, including Sonam and Kushwaha. Counsel for Kushwaha stated that bail applications for the remaining three accused will follow after the court's order on Kushwaha's plea.
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The family of Raja Raghuvanshi, a businessman from Indore murdered during his honeymoon in Meghalaya, has demanded the death penalty for all five accused, including his wife Sonam Raghuvanshi, her alleged lover Raj Kushwaha, and three hired hitmen. Meghalaya Police filed a 790-page chargesheet in Sohra court charging them with murder, destruction of evidence, and criminal conspiracy under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Raja and Sonam went missing on May 26 from a homestay, and Raja's body was later found in a gorge near Weisawdong Falls. Police say Sonam was in a relationship with Kushwaha and conspired to kill her husband during the trip. A supplementary chargesheet will be filed against three others for allegedly destroying evidence. Raja's brother expressed satisfaction with the investigation but accused Sonam's brother of betraying the family.
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The Meghalaya High Court has upheld a trial court order granting bail to Sonam Raghuvanshi, the prime accused in the murder of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, during their honeymoon in Meghalaya in 2025. Justice W. Diengdoh dismissed the State government's petition to cancel the bail, criticizing the arresting agency for preparing the grounds of arrest with a 'total non-application of judicious mind'. The court noted that no specific allegations or information about the actual charges against her were mentioned. Sonam, a resident of Indore, was arrested in June 2025. Police allege she conspired with hired assailants to kill her businessman husband for financial gain. Raja's body was found in a deep gorge near Sohra on June 2, 2025, after the couple went missing on May 23, 2025.
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