The Supreme Court has handed Sonam Raghuvanshi significant relief in the high-profile Raja Raghuvanshi murder case out of Indore, declining for now to stay her bail. That means she will not have to go back to jail immediately, even as the Meghalaya government keeps pushing its legal challenge against her release.
Court declines to step in for now
The matter is being heard by a bench of Justice M.M. Sundaresh and Justice Sheel Nagu. During the hearing, the court made it clear that since Sonam Raghuvanshi has already been released from custody, it would not be appropriate to interfere with that release at this stage. The bench has sought a response from Sonam Raghuvanshi and fixed the next hearing for Thursday, July 10, when further legal arguments and questions tied to the High Court's bail order will be taken up.
Meghalaya government's challenge to the bail order
The Meghalaya government has challenged the Meghalaya High Court's order granting bail to Sonam Raghuvanshi in the Supreme Court, seeking to have that bail cancelled. The same bench is hearing this plea, and detailed submissions were made on both sides during the day's proceedings.
SG cites a wig dispute case to bolster his argument
Arguing the case, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta referred to another recent case in which a wife allegedly killed her husband, a dispute reportedly connected to him wearing a wig, using the example to strengthen his submissions before the bench. The court observed that it had initially been inclined to stay the High Court's order, but since the accused is already out on bail, it was weighing whether adopting a very strict stance at this stage was warranted.
94 witnesses, trial stage and seized evidence
During the hearing, the court noted that police have so far seized multiple pieces of evidence and electronic evidence against Sonam Raghuvanshi. The bench also asked what stage the case has reached, to which the Solicitor General responded that it is currently at the trial stage, with 94 witnesses yet to be examined. The Supreme Court said it has prima facie objections to the High Court's order and indicated that the order could be stayed so that the trial is not affected. It also remarked that the arguments being raised now are different from those raised in earlier bail applications. Meanwhile, the accused's counsel argued that the arrest took place before the transit order was issued and that the grounds for the arrest were not clearly stated. The Supreme Court is currently in the process of drafting its order in the matter.
SG calls it a shocking case, says bail was wrong in a murder
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta strongly objected to the High Court's decision to grant bail, calling it a shocking case and arguing that granting bail in an offence as serious as murder was wrong. He submitted that this was a premeditated, planned murder in which Raja Raghuvanshi had travelled to Meghalaya with his wife Sonam Raghuvanshi on their honeymoon, where he was allegedly murdered and his body thrown into a gorge. The SG said a supplementary chargesheet has already been filed in the case, and that the accused, Sonam Raghuvanshi, was arrested from Uttar Pradesh, where she had allegedly fled. He also pointed out that the same judge who had rejected the bail plea three times earlier subsequently went on to grant bail. During the hearing, the Supreme Court also raised questions on certain facts, while the Solicitor General flagged an incorrect reference to Section 403 of the BNSS in the High Court's order.
What happens next
The Supreme Court's hearing in the matter is continuing, and a final order is still awaited. The next hearing is scheduled for Thursday, July 10, when the High Court's bail order and the Meghalaya government's petition will be examined further.
