Shillong, April 28, 2026: Sonam Raghuvanshi, the prime accused in the alleged murder of her husband Raja Raghuvanshi in Meghalaya last year, was granted bail by a local court on Tuesday, nearly a year after her arrest.
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| Sonam Raghuvanshi with her husband Raja Raghuvanshi during their wedding ceremony before the Meghalaya honeymoon murder case. |
Confirming the development, Special Public Prosecutor KC Gautam said the court passed the bail order earlier in the day. While Sonam has now been released on bail, her co-accused continue to remain in judicial custody.
The case relates to the murder of Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, whose body was recovered from a deep gorge near Wei Sawdong Falls in Sohra (Cherrapunji), Meghalaya.
Raja Raghuvanshi had married Sonam on May 11, 2025, and the couple travelled to Meghalaya for their honeymoon. They went missing on May 23 while visiting Sohra, triggering a search operation. Ten days later, on June 2, police recovered Raja’s semi-decomposed body from a gorge, with multiple stab wounds reportedly inflicted by sharp weapons.
The investigation, led by the Special Investigation Team of Meghalaya Police, later uncovered what authorities described as a murder conspiracy allegedly planned by Sonam and her alleged lover Raj Kushwaha.
Police subsequently arrested Raj Kushwaha along with three other accused - Akash Rajput, Anand Kurmi and Vishal Singh Chauhan - for allegedly carrying out the murder plan.
Investigators alleged that Sonam lured her husband to a remote location on the pretext of sightseeing, where the other accused followed them and allegedly stabbed him to death with knives. One of the weapons used in the crime was later recovered from the forest.
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Following the incident, Sonam fled the scene and later surrendered before police in Uttar Pradesh. After interrogation, the other suspects were arrested.
The Meghalaya Police filed a 790-page chargesheet in the court of the Judicial Magistrate First Class in Sohra Sub-Division on September 5, 2025. The accused have been charged under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
While Sonam Raghuvanshi has now secured bail, the trial in the high-profile case is expected to continue as the remaining accused stay in judicial custody.
