Indore, Sep 27 (IANS) The Madhya Pradesh High Court, on Saturday, ordered a ban on burning the effigies of accused Sonam Raghuvanshi and women from others states on Dussehra in Indore.

An Indore-based social organisation had announced to burn effigies of women, including Sonam Raghuvanshi, who hit national headlines for allegedly getting her husband killed during their honeymoon in Meghalaya.

The court’s order came after a petition was filed by Sonam Raghuvanshi’s mother Sangeeta Raghuvanshi.

According to official information, Sonam’s mother has contended that she has been made an accused in the case, but the matter is being heard in the court in Shillong (Meghalaya).

The court observed that “such practice” won’t be acceptable in a democratic process, and prohibited the organisation to burn effigies of the women, who are facing charges of criminal cases in different parts of the country.

Sonam Raghuvanshi’s husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, went missing on May 23 during the couple’s honeymoon in Meghalaya and his mutilated body was found on June 2 in a deep ravine near a waterfall in the Sohra area (also known as Cherrapunji) of the East Khasi Hills district.

Raja and Sonam went missing from Meghalaya in May, triggering a nationwide search operation.

Eventually, Raja’s body was found, and Sonam surrendered before the police in Uttar Pradesh as investigators from Meghalaya nabbed the other accused.

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

Sonam Raghuvanshi and several others, including her alleged boyfriend, have been arrested in the case.

An 11-head effigy is being prepared for ‘Surpanakha dahan’ by city-based organisation ‘Paurush’ (People Against Unequal Rules Used to Shelter Harassment).

Apart from Sonam Raghuvanshi, the organisation was prepared to burn effigies of 10 other women, who were directly or indirectly involved in killing of their husbands.

Five of such women are from Uttar Pradesh and two others hail from Madhya Pradesh.

–IANS

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