GUWAHATI, July 3: The Supreme Court on Friday expressed reservations over the Meghalaya High Court’s order granting bail to Sonam Raghuvanshi, the prime accused in the sensational “honeymoon murder” case, even as Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that such crimes were becoming increasingly common.

Appearing for the Meghalaya government, Mehta said the facts of the case were “really painful” and would “shock the conscience of the court.”

During the hearing, the Solicitor General referred to the recent Ketan Agarwal death case in Maharashtra, in which a 26-year-old man allegedly died after being pushed into a gorge by his fiancée and her alleged lover, and lamented that “such incidents are increasing.”

Responding to the submission, Justice M.M. Sundresh observed that there was a need for introspection by different stakeholders. However, the bench refrained from making any further comments on the broader issue.

A vacation bench comprising Justices M.M. Sundresh and Sheel Nagu was hearing Meghalaya’s petition challenging the High Court’s decision to uphold the bail granted to Sonam Raghuvanshi.

After hearing both sides, the bench indicated that it had reservations about the High Court order but declined to stay it since the bail order had already been implemented. The court issued notice to Sonam Raghuvanshi and sought her response.

The bench also questioned the legal issues arising from the case, noting that the High Court had granted bail primarily because of an error in the grounds of arrest supplied to the accused. The judges sought to know at what stage such an objection could be raised and what prevented the authorities from subsequently re-arresting the accused after rectifying the error.

The Meghalaya High Court had upheld the trial court’s order granting bail to Sonam after finding that police documents had erroneously cited a non-existent provision, Section 403(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), instead of Section 103(1), which deals with punishment for murder.

The case came to light after newlyweds Raja and Sonam Raghuvanshi, who married on May 12, 2025, went missing during their honeymoon in Meghalaya on May 23.

The couple was last seen checking out of a homestay in Nongriat. Days later, their rented scooter was found abandoned near Sohrarim, and on June 2, Raja’s body was recovered from a deep gorge near Weisawdong Falls in East Khasi Hills district.

Sonam, who remained missing until June 8, was later traced near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.

Meghalaya Police subsequently named Sonam and Raj Kushwaha as the prime suspects in the murder and has since filed a chargesheet exceeding 700 pages, alleging that the killing was premeditated and carried out as part of a conspiracy.

The Supreme Court is expected to hear the matter further after receiving Sonam Raghuvanshi’s response.

Also Read: MeECL alters power mix as June rain falls short; no load shedding expected: Meghalaya power secy

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