Court Grants Bail to Woman Accused of Murdering Husband During Honeymoon in Meghalaya

Sonam Raghuvanshi INDORE: A local court in Shillong on Tuesday granted bail to Sonam Raghuvanshi, prime accuse in orchestrating the murder of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, as per a report by news agency ANI. This was her fourth bail plea. Sonam Raghuvanshi was given bail primarily on the grounds of 'intimation of the grounds of arrest', which the court viewed as a violation of her constitutional rights. "In none of the documents has the petitioner been intimated that she is arrested for the offence under 103(1) BNS. Even in the formats of the intimation of grounds of arrest it is observed that specific facts constituting the offence has not been communicated to the accused person," the Court said. Under Article 22(1) of the Constitution and established legal principles, an accused must be clearly informed of the reasons for their arrest, the court further noted. Sonam Raghuvanshi's counsel argued that her arrest was legally flawed as she was not properly informed about the specific grounds of arrest, as required under law, according to a report by LiveLaw. The lawyer submitted that merely mentioning sections or using standard formats is not enough and the police must clearly communicate the exact facts and allegations forming the basis of the arrest. The decision has triggered outrage from the victim's family, who questioned the investigation and expressed fears for their safety if other accused also secure bail, as per the report by ANI news agency. Raja's mother, Uma Raghuvanshi, demanded a CBI probe, alleging lapses in the investigation. "If such a serious crime can lead to bail, what faith can we have in justice?" she added, vowing to continue the fight for justice. Raja's brother Vipin Raghuvanshi said the family would challenge the order in the High Court. He claimed objections to the bail were raised earlier and alleged lack of transparency in legal proceedings. The case pertains to the death of Raja Raghuvanshi, whose body was found in a gorge near Sohra (Cherrapunji) on 2nd June last year. The couple, residents of Indore, had gone missing during their honeymoon. Sonam was later found in Uttar Pradesh.(With agency inputs)