The Supreme Court on Friday refused to immediately cancel the bail granted to Sonam Raghuvanshi, the prime accused in the alleged murder of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi. While hearing the Meghalaya government’s challenge to the bail order, the apex court observed that Sonam has already been released from custody and directed both parties to file their responses before the next hearing scheduled for next week.
Supreme Court Refuses Immediate Intervention
A Bench comprising Justices M.M. Sundresh and Sheel Nagu considered the Meghalaya government’s plea seeking cancellation of Sonam Raghuvanshi’s bail. During the proceedings, the judges indicated that although they had reservations about certain aspects of the case, they were not inclined to send the accused back to jail after her release.
The Bench noted that Sonam is currently in Shillong in compliance with the conditions imposed by the trial court while granting her bail.
Court Reiterates ‘Bail Is The Rule’
The Supreme Court observed that despite the seriousness of the allegations, courts must continue to follow the legal principle that bail should ordinarily be granted unless there are compelling reasons to deny it.
The judges also took into account the period already spent by Sonam in judicial custody before being released on bail.
At the same time, the Bench expressed concern over the manner in which the High Court had dealt with certain aspects of the case and sought a counter affidavit from Sonam in response to the Meghalaya government’s challenge.
Meghalaya Government Challenges Bail Order
The Meghalaya government approached the Supreme Court after the Meghalaya High Court refused to interfere with the trial court’s decision granting bail to Sonam Raghuvanshi.
The High Court had earlier upheld the trial court’s order, observing that the arrest documents prepared by the investigating agency reflected a lack of proper application of mind. The court noted that the grounds of arrest did not clearly specify the allegations against the accused and ruled that these deficiencies were significant while examining the legality of the arrest.
Finding no valid legal grounds to cancel the bail, the High Court had dismissed the state’s petition.
Murder Case Triggered Nationwide Attention
Sonam Raghuvanshi, a resident of Indore, was arrested in June last year in connection with the alleged murder of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi. The couple had travelled to Meghalaya for their honeymoon when they went missing.
Days later, Raja Raghuvanshi’s body was recovered from a deep gorge in the Sohra region. Investigators have alleged that Sonam conspired with hired assailants to kill her husband for financial gain, an allegation she contests as the criminal trial continues.
The Supreme Court is expected to take up the matter again next week after receiving replies from both the Meghalaya government and the accused.
