A Madhya Pradesh woman accused of plotting the murder of her businessman husband during their Meghalaya honeymoon has surrendered to a trial court after the Supreme Court revoked her bail.
Sonam Raghuvanshi, a resident of Indore, was remanded to judicial custody on Tuesday, according to East Khasi Hills District Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem. Her surrender complies with an apex court directive issued after the state government challenged her temporary release.
Supreme Court Decision and Trial Timeline
The Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices M.M. Sundresh and P.B. Varale, set aside Raghuvanshi’s bail on July 23 and instructed her to turn herself in within three weeks. In its ruling, the court observed that allowing the accused to remain free could impede the progress of the ongoing judicial proceedings.
The justices added that if the trial does not proceed and conclude within six months, Raghuvanshi maintains the liberty to submit a fresh application for bail.
Prior Judicial Decisions
The Supreme Court order overturns previous rulings by lower courts in Meghalaya. A local trial court had originally granted bail to Raghuvanshi on April 27.
The Meghalaya government subsequently petitioned the High Court to cancel the bail, but the High Court dismissed the state’s plea on June 29 and sustained the lower court’s order, prompting the government’s final appeal to the Supreme Court.
Background of the Investigation
Raghuvanshi was arrested in June 2025 following the death of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi. The couple had reported missing on May 23, 2025, while on vacation in the Sohra region of Meghalaya. Search operations concluded on June 2, 2025, when authorities recovered Raja’s body from a deep gorge.
Investigators allege that Raghuvanshi orchestrated the killing in collusion with her alleged lover, Raj Kushwaha. Police state that the duo hired contract killers to eliminate the businessman during the trip for monetary gain.
