The Meghalaya government has moved the Meghalaya High Court challenging a lower court order that granted bail to prime accused Sonam Raghuvanshi in the high-profile murder case of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, in Sohra last year. The petition, filed under Section 528 read with Section 483(3) of the BNSS, 2023, contests the April 27, 2026 order of Additional District and Sessions Judge (Judicial) D.R. Kharbteng, which allowed Sonam’s bail application on the ground that she had not been informed of the grounds of her arrest. The matter was mentioned before the Chief Justice’s Court on Monday, a notice has been issued to Sonam Raghuvanshi, and the case is listed for hearing on May 12, 2026.
The government’s petition argues that the claim of non-communication of the grounds of arrest is factually incorrect and contradicted by contemporaneous court records. It points to the original chargesheet, filed on September 5, 2025, and a supplementary chargesheet filed on February 10, 2026, to show the accused and her counsel were informed of the allegations. The petition also cites a trial court order dated September 25, 2025, indicating a copy of the chargesheet was supplied to the respondent, and an order dated February 17, 2026, showing the supplementary chargesheet was provided to the respondent’s counsel.
The government further notes that charges were formally framed on October 28, 2025, and contends that after the filing of the chargesheet and framing of charges, “it is evident that the accused is aware about the facts of the matter, including the grounds of arrest.” The petition urges the High Court to set aside the lower court’s bail order, describing the plea of non-communication at this stage as “contrary to the records and made by way of an afterthought.”
The challenge to the bail order underscores the prosecution’s position that procedural and record-based evidence confirm the accused had been informed of the case against her well before the April 27 order. The High Court hearing on May 12 will determine whether the lower court’s reasoning for granting bail will be upheld or overturned.
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2026/05/06/honeymoon-murder-case-govt-challenges-sonams-bail-in-hc/
Category: MEGHALAYA
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Publish Date: 2026-05-06 02:24:00
