SHILLONG, JUL 21: The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked honeymoon murder case accused Sonam Raghuvanshi to inform it by July 23 whether she will surrender or contest the Meghalaya government’s plea to cancel her bail.

A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and PB Varale was hearing the state’s appeal against the Meghalaya High Court order granting her bail.

The court proposed two options.

Sonam can either surrender now while the trial court records evidence of key prosecution witnesses, or the bench will hear and decide her bail plea on merits.

“Either we will consider and pass an order on merit. Or we will pass an order for you to surrender in the interregnum till the witnesses are examined, then we will see it on merit. The second option may be better for you. Take instructions and come back,” the bench said.

It added that if Sonam chooses to surrender, it will direct the trial court to expedite examination of public witnesses and then reconsider her bail application.

The Meghalaya High Court had granted bail after noting that Sonam’s arrest documents cited Section 403 of the BNS instead of Section 103 for murder, and that grounds of arrest were not properly communicated. It called the repeated error more than a clerical mistake.

The Supreme Court questioned why the issue was raised late, and whether such an error alone could justify bail.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Meghalaya, called it a “typographical error” and said Sonam was aware of the reasons for arrest.

He also said she surrendered only after co-accused were arrested.

Sonam’s counsel argued the case rests on circumstantial evidence and has received excessive media coverage.

Raja and Sonam Raghuvanshi went missing in May 2025 during their honeymoon in Meghalaya.

Raja’s body was found on June 2 near Weisawdong Falls.

Sonam was traced on June 8 near Varanasi.

Police have named Sonam and alleged associate Raj Kushwaha as prime accused.