SHILLONG: In a decisive development in one of the region’s most high-profile criminal trials, Sonam Raghuvanshi, the prime accused in the Meghalaya honeymoon murder case, surrendered before a trial court on Tuesday.
Her return to legal custody follows a Supreme Court ruling that set aside her bail order and directed her to surrender within three weeks, ending her nearly three-month period out on bail.
East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem confirmed that Sonam presented herself before the presiding trial court on Tuesday morning, after which the court remanded her to judicial custody as proceedings resume.
Reacting to the apex court’s intervention, Vipin Raghuvanshi, brother of the deceased victim Raja Raghuvanshi, welcomed the decision and expressed gratitude to the judiciary, the Meghalaya Government, and law enforcement agencies for pursuing the appeal.
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He voiced confidence in the ongoing judicial process and urged the court to conduct a swift trial and hand down exemplary punishment to all those implicated in the conspiracy that claimed his brother’s life.
The high-profile tragedy began in late May 2025, when newlyweds Raja Raghuvanshi and Sonam arrived in Shillong before traveling to Sohra for their honeymoon. The couple was reported missing on May 26, triggering a large-scale, multi-agency search across the rugged terrain of East Khasi Hills.
The search ended in tragedy on June 2, when rescue teams found Raja’s body in a deep gorge at Arliang Riat Kunongrim, near Wei Sawdong Falls.
The discovery shifted the missing persons case into an intensive homicide investigation that shocked the public.
Meghalaya Police have since filed a detailed 790-page chargesheet before the Judicial Magistrate First Class at the Sohra Sub-Division Court, outlining a premeditated murder plot and naming five individuals in connection with the conspiracy.
Alongside Sonam Raghuvanshi, the chargesheet names her alleged partner Raj Kushwaha and three alleged contract killers—Vishal Singh Chauhan, Akash Rajput, and Anand Kurmi—who now stand trial for their roles in the crime.
(4FrontMedia news)
