Shillong, May 19: The “clerical error” that allowed Sonam Raghuvanshi to walk out of jail on bail will not affect the outcome of the case, East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem said today.
Sonam, on trial for the 2025 murder of her husband Raja in Sohra, was granted bail on April 28 after the court found that she had not been clearly informed she was being arrested under Section 103(1) BNS and that the specific facts constituting the offence were not conveyed in clear terms.
The typo saw Sonam charged under a fictional Section 403 of the BNS, a section that does not exist. Instead, the paperwork should have read Sec 103, which deals with murder.
Speaking to reporters, Syiem said the accused was fully informed that she had been arrested in connection with a murder case and that the grounds of arrest had been explained to her during the transit remand proceedings as well.
“There’s no Section 403 in the BNS. The section was changed from 103 to 403 due to a clerical error. The grounds of arrest were made understood to the accused and she understood that she was arrested for murder,” he said.
However, he said the court had taken a different view and observed that the grounds of arrest were not properly communicated to the accused, following which bail was granted.
“We have appealed against that order. But it does not mean there will be any difference in the trial. The chargesheet has already been filed and we have enough evidence against the accused. Bail does not in any way dilute the outcome of the trial,” Syiem added.
Commenting on the progress of the case, Syiem said he could not speak about the trial proceedings but pointed out that the judicial process had moved unusually fast. “The wheels of justice have moved. Usually trials start after a few years, but this has started very fast,” he said.
Reflecting on the high-profile Indore honeymoon murder case as it nears one year since the incident, Syiem credited the successful investigation to teamwork within the East Khasi Hills police.
“This case received a lot of media attention but the district police has worked as a team, not only in this case but in many others as well,” he said. “The team worked quietly and efficiently. A lot of hard work has gone into it. The East Khasi Hills district police has not left any stone unturned while solving cases.”
Syiem also referred to the investigation into the death of a 7-year-old boy in Nongrah, saying the case too was cracked because of coordinated teamwork by the district police.
