Madhya Pradesh High Court Prohibits Burning of Sonam Raghuvanshi Effigy During Dussehra Festival

The organization had planned to burn effigies of Sonam Raghuvanshi along with 10 other women during Dussehra celebrations.

On Saturday, the Madhya Pradesh High Court issued an order prohibiting the burning of effigies of Sonam Raghuvanshi and women from other states during Dussehra festivities in Indore.

A social organization based in Indore had previously announced their intention to burn effigies of several women, including Sonam Raghuvanshi, who became notorious nationwide after allegedly orchestrating her husband's murder during their honeymoon trip to Meghalaya.

The court ruling came in response to a petition filed by Sangeeta Raghuvanshi, Sonam's mother.

According to official sources, Sangeeta argued in her petition that while her daughter has been accused in the case, the legal proceedings are currently underway in a Shillong court in Meghalaya.

In its judgment, the court stated that "such practice" is unacceptable within a democratic framework and explicitly barred the organization from burning effigies of women who are facing criminal charges in various parts of the country.

The case gained national attention when Raja Raghuvanshi, Sonam's husband, disappeared on May 23 during the couple's honeymoon in Meghalaya. His mutilated remains were later discovered on June 2 in a deep ravine near a waterfall in Sohra (also known as Cherrapunji) in the East Khasi Hills district.

The disappearance of both Raja and Sonam from Meghalaya in May prompted a nationwide search operation.

Eventually, investigators located Raja's body, and Sonam surrendered to police authorities in Uttar Pradesh while Meghalaya Police apprehended additional suspects in the case.

Along with Sonam Raghuvanshi, Meghalaya Police arrested her alleged boyfriend Raj Kushwaha and three of his associates – Vishal Singh Chauhan, Akash Rajput, and Anand Kurmi.

The city-based organization 'Paurush' (People Against Unequal Rules Used to Shelter Harassment) had been preparing an 11-headed effigy for 'Surpanakha dahan' as part of the Dussehra celebrations.

Besides Sonam Raghuvanshi, the organization had intended to burn effigies of 10 other women who were allegedly involved, either directly or indirectly, in the murders of their husbands.

Among these women, five were from Uttar Pradesh and two others were from Madhya Pradesh.