Raja Raghuvanshi Murder Case: Prime Accused Sonam Raghuvanshi Granted Bail After 10 Months in Jail

CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG: After spending nearly ten months in jail, a significant development has emerged in the sensational murder case of Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, with prime accused Sonam Raghuvanshi being granted bail on Tuesday, a decision that brings renewed focus on procedural safeguards in arrest and investigation even as the case continues to command national attention for its alleged conspiracy and chilling sequence of events during a honeymoon trip to Meghalaya.

According to the police, “It is Sonam Raghuwanshi who got bail and not the other co-accused.”

According to the court, “Going by the intimation of grounds of arrest presented to the petitioner, there is no indication that the charges against her have been communicated to her. This shows that sufficient knowledge of facts constituting grounds of arrest has not been effectively communicated to the petitioner herein in clear terms. Therefore, it can be said that prejudice has been caused to her as far as her defence is concerned. Moreover, there is nothing on record to show that the petitioner was represented by counsel at the time when she was first produced before the court at Ghazipur, whereby this plea could have been raised by her. Under the peculiar facts and circumstances of this case, this Court is convinced that the petitioner has been able to make out a case of not having been effectively communicated the grounds of arrest upon her arrest. Accordingly, as has been observed in the case of Vihaan Kumar (supra) at para 26 and the judgement of our own High Court in Labius Arengh (supra), the petitioner is entitled to be released on bail. The petitioner is hereby directed to be released on bail on the following conditions: (i) That she shall not abscond or tamper with the evidence or witnesses; (ii) That she shall attend court on every date fixed; (iii) That she shall not leave the jurisdiction of this court, except with due permission; and (iv) That she shall execute a personal bond of Rs 50,000 (rupees fifty thousand) only with two sureties of like amount to the satisfaction of this court. Application is allowed and disposed of.” The development follows the filing of a voluminous 790-page chargesheet before the court of the Judicial Magistrate First Class, Sohra Sub-Division Court, in which five persons have been named in connection with the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi, who was killed during his honeymoon trip to Sohra in May 2025. Those chargesheeted include Sonam Raghuvanshi, her alleged partner Raj Kushwaha, and three alleged contract killers — Vishal Singh Chauhan, Akash Rajput, and Anand Kurmi — all accused of being part of a conspiracy to eliminate Raghuvanshi.

The case dates back to May 21, 2025, when Raja Raghuvanshi and his wife Sonam arrived in Shillong before proceeding to Sohra. The couple was reported missing on May 26, triggering a large-scale search operation across the region. Days later, on June 2, Raja’s body was recovered from a deep gorge at Arliang Riat Kunongrim, Umblai, near Wei Sawdong Falls, a discovery that intensified the investigation and led to multiple arrests in what has since unfolded as one of the most closely watched criminal cases in the region.

Also Read: No Family Visit, No Remorse: Sonam Raghuvanshi's One Month in Prison