Court dismisses Meghalaya government’s appeal, cites procedural lapses in arrest documentation while detailed judgment is awaited
Shillong: The Meghalaya High Court has upheld the bail granted to Sonam Raghuvanshi, the prime accused in the alleged murder of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, during their honeymoon in Meghalaya in 2025. A single bench of Justice W. Diengdoh dismissed the Meghalaya government’s appeal challenging the Shillong court’s earlier bail order. The detailed judgment is awaited.
The High Court had reserved its verdict on June 10 after hearing arguments from both the prosecution and defence over more than 10 days.
The bail was primarily granted after the Shillong trial court found procedural lapses in Sonam’s arrest. The court observed that official documents, including the arrest memo, case diary extracts and justification checklist, repeatedly mentioned Section 403(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) instead of Section 103(1), which relates to the offence of murder.
Rejecting the prosecution’s claim that the mistake was merely clerical, the trial court noted that the incorrect provision appeared consistently across multiple documents. It also observed that Sonam was not clearly informed she had been arrested under the murder provision and that the factual grounds of the offence were inadequately communicated.
The state argued before the High Court that the procedural error caused no actual prejudice, contending that Sonam was aware of the allegations throughout the investigation and remand proceedings. It also cited a recent Supreme Court ruling to argue that such defects were curable.
However, the High Court upheld the earlier bail order, marking a significant development in the high-profile case while the trial continues.
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