Supreme Court cancels bail of Sonam Raghuvanshi, Meghalaya

The Supreme Court of India on Thursday, July 23, 2026, canceled the bail of Sonam Raghuvanshi, the prime accused in the murder of her husband during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, ordering her to surrender within three weeks. A bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and P.B. Varale allowed an appeal by the Meghalaya state government, overturning a lower court's decision to grant her bail on procedural grounds.

The court found that Sonam Raghuvanshi was not entitled to bail, stating that her continued release could interfere with the ongoing trial. The bench clarified that while non-service of arrest grounds could invalidate an arrest, the issue in this case involved the adequacy of the reasons provided, which did not cause sufficient prejudice to warrant bail. The court directed Raghuvanshi to surrender before the trial court in Shillong within 21 days but noted she could file a fresh bail application if the trial is not concluded within six months.

The legal dispute centered on whether Raghuvanshi was properly informed of the grounds for her arrest. The District and Sessions Court in East Khasi Hills had granted her bail in April 2026, a decision upheld by the Meghalaya High Court on...