The Meghalaya High Court has rejected the state government’s petition seeking cancellation of the bail granted to Sonam Raghuvanshi, the prime accused in the alleged murder of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi. The court’s decision upholds the conditional bail order passed by a Shillong court earlier this year. Justice W. Diengdoh passed the order after hearing detailed arguments from both the State and the defence over several days.
The court had reserved its verdict on June 10 after concluding hearings in the matter. The detailed judgment is awaited, but the High Court has now dismissed the state’s challenge to the bail order. The Meghalaya government had moved the High Court after the Additional District Council (Judicial) Court in Shillong granted conditional bail to Sonam on April 27, 2026.
The lower court had held that there were procedural lapses during her arrest, observing that she had not been properly informed of the grounds of her arrest as mandated under law, which prejudiced her constitutional rights. The State, represented by Advocate General Amit Kumar, argued that the trial court had erred in granting bail and maintained that Sonam had in fact been informed of the grounds of her arrest. The government submitted documents before the High Court and sought cancellation of the bail, contending that the lower court’s findings were factually incorrect.
The case stems from the sensational murder of Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, who was allegedly killed during his honeymoon trip to Sohra in Meghalaya in May 2025. Investigators have alleged that the murder was orchestrated by his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, with the help of hired assailants. Sonam has denied the allegations, and the criminal trial remains pending.
With Monday’s order, the High Court has upheld the validity of the lower court’s conditional bail order. The criminal proceedings in the alleged murder case, however, will continue before the trial court, and the High Court’s ruling does not amount to a finding on Sonam Raghuvanshi’s guilt or innocence.
