Shillong: The Supreme Court might send the bail case of murder suspect Sonam Raghuvanshi to a larger bench. Judges want to settle if a typo on arrest documents ruins a detention. The court will hear the case on July 14. They already refused to pause the High Court of Meghalaya order granting bail to Raghuvanshi.
The dispute centers on an arrest memo that cited the wrong law. Police listed Section 403 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which covers misappropriation of property, instead of the murder statute. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court the slip was a simple mistake. He argued, "the serious nature of a premeditated murder charge should not be derailed by an administrative technicality."
Justices Manoj Misra and Shree Chandrashekhar noted conflicting legal precedents. The Bansal case demands written grounds for arrest. Yet, the 2026 Vihaan case says written notices are not required. Raghuvanshi, from Indore, is accused of killing her husband, Raja, during a May 2025 trip to Sohra. Police found his body in a gorge after the couple went missing.
The bench ordered police to turn over readable copies of the original arrest paperwork. Both sides must file written arguments before the court decides on the referral.
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