Supreme Court refuses to stay bail granted to Sonam Raghuvanshi

The Supreme Court has refused to stay the bail granted to Sonam Raghuvanshi in the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case, a setback for the Meghalaya government as it seeks to challenge the order.

Reporting on Friday said the court did not suspend the bail even though it was critical of the lower court’s technical reasoning. The bail therefore remains in force for now.

What the court decided

According to the reports, the state had asked the Supreme Court to cancel or halt the bail order passed by the Meghalaya High Court. The government argued that a typographical error in the paperwork led to the bail being granted and said there was a risk that Sonam Raghuvanshi could flee.

The Supreme Court was reported to have questioned the technical basis of the bail order, but it did not stay the relief because Sonam Raghuvanshi was already out of custody.

Background to the case

The case stems from the killing of Raja Raghuvanshi during a honeymoon trip in Meghalaya in 2025. Sonam Raghuvanshi was later arrested in connection with the case, and the bail order from the Meghalaya High Court became the focus of the state’s challenge before the Supreme Court.

The hearing on July 3, 2026 followed earlier reporting that the Meghalaya government had already moved the top court against the bail and that the matter was listed for that day.

Reaction and next steps

After the Supreme Court ruling, Raja Raghuvanshi’s family renewed its demand for a CBI probe into the case.

The immediate legal question is whether the Meghalaya government will press ahead with a broader cancellation challenge or seek another procedural route. For now, the bail order remains operative.