SHILLONG, July 2: The Meghalaya Government on Thursday remained tight-lipped after the Meghalaya High Court upheld the conditional bail granted to Sonam Raghuvanshi, the prime accused in the alleged murder of her husband Raja Raghuvanshi during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, even as the State’s challenge to the order is set to be heard by the Supreme Court. The silence marks a sharp contrast to the Meghalaya Government and Police, which had drawn national attention and widespread praise after cracking the sensational murder case. While Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma declined to comment, citing the matter as sub judice, Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Home (Police) Prestone Tynsong also refrained from commenting on the merits of the case.
“I am not aware about the case in details and I will not be able to comment on it, it’s a legal matter. I think Advocate General, or Law secretary or our legal team will be in a better position to comment,” Conrad K. Sangma said. “You talk to our spokesperson, you know it already,” Prestone Tynsong said. The Meghalaya High Court on June 29 upheld the Shillong trial court’s order granting conditional bail to Sonam Raghuvanshi after holding that the investigating agency had failed to effectively communicate the grounds of her arrest, and dismissed the State’s plea seeking cancellation of the bail. The Supreme Court has since agreed to hear Meghalaya’s appeal after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta mentioned the matter before a Bench led by Justice M.M. Sundresh.
Advocate Sudev Thapa, who appeared on behalf of Sonam Raghuvanshi in the High Court, said, “My client has not yet received any formal notice regarding the State’s appeal before the apex court.” He added, “The matter before the High Court is completely finished and disposed of. The Honorable High Court has already rejected the petition filed by the State, thereby upholding the trial court’s order and securing the bail.” He further said, “As of today’s date, there is no petition pending as far as the High Court is concerned, and the State’s request for a stay has been rejected.” Referring to reports of the State’s appeal before the Supreme Court, Thapa said, “While I have learned about the development through media reports, I cannot personally verify the statement because my client has not been formally served.” Thapa maintained, “The grounds on which Sonam Raghuvanshi was granted bail by both the trial court and the High Court are sound and reasonable, as they directly concern the violation of fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 21 and 22 of the Constitution.” He added, “The matter will likely come up in due time, but there is absolutely no official confirmation or notice received by the defense team so far.”
The case relates to the disappearance of newlyweds Raja and Sonam Raghuvanshi during their honeymoon in Meghalaya in May 2025 after checking out of a homestay in Nongriat. Raja’s body was recovered from a gorge near Weisawdong Falls on June 2, while Sonam was traced on June 8 near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. Meghalaya Police later named Sonam Raghuvanshi and her alleged lover Raj Kushwaha as the principal accused in the alleged premeditated murder. A chargesheet exceeding 700 pages has since been filed, while Raj Kushwaha, Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan and Anand Kurmi remain in judicial custody as the trial continues.
Meghalaya Remains Tight-Lipped as Supreme Court to Hear Plea Against Sonam Raghuvanshi Bail
