Typo proves costly: How an error led to court granting bail to Meghalaya honeymoon murder accused

After applying for bail three times, Sonam Raghuvanshi, accused of killing her newlywed husband — Raja Raghuvanshi — during their honeymoon, was granted bail by the Shillong court.

And if you can believe it, the court granted bail because of a typo; the police in the arrest memo had mentioned a section of India’s criminal code that doesn’t exist.

So, what exactly happened? Why was Sonam granted bail in the high-profile Meghalaya honeymoon murder case?

Court notices a typo; grants bail

>> On Monday (April 27), the Shillong court noticed incorrect paperwork while hearing a bail application filed by murder accused
Sonam Raghuvanshi.

>> The court noted that the arrest memo had mentioned Section 403(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). For the unaware, the
BNS replaced the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on July 1, 2024.

>> However, the BNS does not have any section numbered 403(1). The relevant section on murder is actually numbered 103(1). Meanwhile, under the IPC, Section 403 dealt with the offence of dishonest misappropriation of property.

>> According to the court order, Sonam Raghuavnshi’s arrest memo, inspection memo, intimation of rights memo, and even entries in the case diary mentioned a “non-existent Section 403(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita”.

>> The court also rejected the police argument that it was a “clerical error”, stating, “Though it has been argued that this is a clerical error, however, such an error cannot occur in all documents… In none of the documents has the petitioner been intimated that she is arrested for the offence u/s 103(1) BNS. Even in the formats of the intimation of grounds of arrest, it is observed that specific facts constituting the offence have not been communicated to the accused person.”

>> Sonam Raghuvanshi was then granted bail on four conditions:

1. She won’t leave the jurisdiction of the court

2. She won’t abscond or tamper with evidence or witnesses

3. She will attend court on every fixed date

4. Submit a personal bond and surety

Raja Raghuvanshi’s family reacts to Sonam’s bail

>> Reacting to the news of bail being granted, the family of slain Raja Raghuvanshi expressed anguish as to how the “mastermind” in the crime could be released.

>> Raja’s mother, Uma, choking back tears, told reporters that she couldn’t understand how Sonam was granted bail despite being the “mastermind” of her son’s murder.

>> “The Meghalaya Police thoroughly investigated the case over the past nine months, but it was beyond our understanding how the game suddenly changed in a month or two,” she said, adding, “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 (CBI) into this case.”

Even Raja’s brother expressed concern over the court’s decision. Vipin Raghuvanshi was quoted by news agency ANI as saying that the family would appeal to the high court against this decision. “I found out about it an hour and a half ago when I spoke with the lawyer in my case. He said that Sonam has been granted bail… Her condition is that Sonam will have to stay in Shillong… The remaining four accused, Akash, Anand, Vishal and Raj, have not been granted bail yet… I had objected three times before this that the bail should not be granted. The lawyer kept hiding things from me. We will appeal to the high court to cancel her bail.”

A look back at the Meghalaya honeymoon murder case

>> On June 9 2025, Sonam Raghuvanshi was arrested and charged with orchestrating the murder of her newlywed husband,
Raja Raghuvanshi, during their honeymoon in Shillong in 2025.

>> The couple had married in May 2025 and travelled from Indore to Shillong. Days later, Raja went missing, and his body was found on June 2 in a gorge. His autopsy report then indicated that he was hit twice with a sharp object on his head, raising suspicions.

>> Investigators then arrested Sonam, along with Raj Kushwaha, with whom she was allegedly in a relationship. They suspected that Sonam and Kushwaha hatched a plan in which three men attacked Raja and Sonam, killing the former, and then throwing his body into the gorge.

>> Then last September, the Meghalaya Police submitted a 790-page chargesheet, naming eight people, including Sonam and her alleged boyfriend, as the accused.

>> Following the charges in the case, Sonam pleaded not guilty.

With inputs from agencies