Shillong: The Supreme Court declined to pull Sonam Raghuvanshi back into custody on Friday. She remains free while the state fights her bail in a high-profile honeymoon murder case. Justices M.M. Sundresh and Sheel Nagu issued a notice but refused an immediate stay on the High Court order. The accused is already out.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued for the Meghalaya government. He warned the Bench that the case facts would "shock the Court’s conscience" and set a dangerous legal precedent. Mehta noted that the trial is underway with over 90 prosecution witnesses still waiting to testify.
The Meghalaya High Court previously granted bail after finding police bungled the arrest procedures. They cited a total lack of focus during the process. Sonam was arrested in June last year and spent ten months behind bars before her release this past April.
Raja Raghuvanshi’s family is furious. They want a CBI probe into his death. His brother, Vipin Raghuvanshi, accused the state of keeping two sets of rules for victims. He fears Sonam will now tamper with evidence or lean on witnesses while she waits out the trial in Shillong.
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