Bail to accused Sonam Raghuvanshi leaves victim’s family shocked

Indore: The family of slain Indore resident Raja Raghuvanshi on Tuesday sought to know how his wife Sonam was granted bail by a court in Meghalaya despite she being the “mastermind” of his murder, and demanded a CBI probe into the case.

Seeking justice, they said they will move the Meghalaya High Court against the lower court’s decision to grant bail to Sonam.

Raja Raghuvanshi went missing on May 23 last year during the couple’s honeymoon, and his mutilated body was found on June 2 from a deep gorge near a waterfall in Sohra area of East Khasi Hills district. Sonam and several others, including her alleged boyfriend, were arrested in the case.

A court in Meghalaya on Tuesday granted bail to Sonam.

Talking to reporters, Raja’s mother Uma, who was choked with emotion, said she couldn’t understand how Sonam was granted bail despite being the “mastermind” of her son’s murder.

“The Meghalaya Police thoroughly investigated the case over the past nine months, but it was beyond our understanding how the game suddenly changed in a month or two,” she said.

“We only demand one thing from the government – justice for my innocent son, who was murdered. I want a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into this case,” she added.

Vipin Raghuvanshi, Raja’s elder brother, said his family will challenge the lower court’s decision to grant bail to Sonam in the Meghalaya HC.

“While arguing for Sonam’s bail application in the court, her lawyer primarily emphasised that the Meghalaya Police did not properly inform her of the specific reason for her arrest, violating legal provisions,” he said.

Vipin suspected “manipulation” in the investigation, saying the prosecution has not yet provided him with a copy of the chargesheet, nor has he had a chance to properly review it.

Sonam was arrested on June 9, 2025, in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, for her alleged involvement in the conspiracy to murder her husband, and was in judicial custody in Shillong District Jail for more than 10 months.

In September last year, the Meghalaya Police submitted a 790-page chargesheet, naming eight people, including Sonam and her alleged boyfriend Raj Kushwah, as the accused.