Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Sonam Raghuvanshi, the main accused in the murder case of Indore transport businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, surrendered before a court in Shillong, Meghalaya, on Wednesday. She was sent to jail after appearing before the court.
The surrender came before the deadline set by the Supreme Court. On July 23, the apex court had cancelled Sonam’s bail and directed her to surrender before the concerned court within 3 weeks.
After Sonam’s surrender, Raja Raghuvanshi’s brother Vipin thanked the Meghalaya government and said that their efforts have renewed the family’s hope for justice.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had observed that the High Court and trial court made an error by granting bail to Sonam based on alleged shortcomings in informing her about the grounds of arrest.
The court directed the police to complete the trial within 6 months. It also said that if the trial is not completed within the given time, Sonam can apply for bail again.
Accused must be informed about arrest
The Supreme Court stated that under Article 22(1) of the Constitution, informing an accused about the reasons for arrest is mandatory. However, in this case, the court said there was no complete failure to provide the grounds of arrest.
The court clarified that completely withholding the grounds of arrest and providing incomplete information are different situations. Therefore, granting bail only on the basis of a technical issue was not justified.
Over a year to the case
Sonam Raghuvanshi was arrested on June 9, 2025, after she surrendered at a one-stop centre in Ghaziabad of Uttar Pradesh.
She is the prime accused in the murder case of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, and is facing charges along with four other accused in the case.
The other accused were identified as Raja Raghuvanshi, Anand Kurmi, Aakash Rajput and Vishal Chouhan.
