The family of Indore resident Raja Raghuvanshi, who was murdered during his honeymoon in Meghalaya last year, on Tuesday expressed shock over a local court granting bail to his wife Sonam, and demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Raghuvanshi’s relatives said they would move the Meghalaya High Court challenging the lower court’s order, asserting that Sonam was the alleged “mastermind” behind the killing.
Transport businessman Raja Raghuvanshi had gone missing on May 23, 2025, during a trip with his wife. His mutilated body was recovered on June 2 from a deep gorge near a waterfall in Sohra in East Khasi Hills district. The case had triggered widespread outrage.
Sonam, along with several others including her alleged boyfriend Raj Kushwah, was arrested in connection with the case. She was taken into custody on June 9, 2025, from Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh and had been lodged in judicial custody at Shillong District Jail for over 10 months.
A Meghalaya court granted her bail on Tuesday, a development that the victim’s family said had left them deeply disturbed.
Raja’s mother, Uma Raghuvanshi, said she could not comprehend how bail was granted despite the seriousness of the allegations. “The Meghalaya Police thoroughly investigated the case over the past nine months, but it is beyond our understanding how the game suddenly changed in a month or two,” she said, her voice choked with emotion.
Also read: Honeymoon murder: Sonam granted bail by Shillong court
“We only demand one thing from the government, justice for my innocent son, who was murdered. I want a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into this case,” she added.
Raja’s elder brother, Vipin Raghuvanshi, said the family would legally challenge the bail order. He claimed that during arguments, Sonam’s counsel had emphasised alleged procedural lapses, including failure to properly inform her of the grounds of arrest.
Vipin also alleged possible “manipulation” in the investigation, stating that the prosecution had not yet provided the family with a copy of the chargesheet for review.
In September 2025, Meghalaya Police filed a 790-page chargesheet naming eight accused, including Sonam and Kushwah, in the alleged conspiracy to murder Raghuvanshi.
The case continues to draw attention, with the victim’s family intensifying its demand for a central agency probe even as legal proceedings move forward.
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