Raja Raghuvanshi’s two brothers booked for selling liquor without licence in MP

Assistant Commissioner of Police Nidhi Saxena said the action followed the discovery that liquor was being served to customers without the mandatory licence.

Updated on: Aug 9, 2026, 15:11:31 IST

By HT News Desk

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Two brothers of Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, who was allegedly murdered during his honeymoon in Meghalaya last year, were among five people arrested by police in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday for allegedly serving liquor without a licence at their eatery.

The two brothers, Sachin Raghuvanshi and Vipin Raghuvanshi, own the food establishment in the Rau police station area. (Representational image)

The two brothers, Sachin Raghuvanshi and Vipin Raghuvanshi, own the food establishment in the Rau police station area. Three employees working at the eatery were also taken into preventive custody, police said, according to news agency PTI.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Nidhi Saxena said the action followed the discovery that liquor was being served to customers without the mandatory licence.

The five were arrested as a preventive measure under Section 170 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which allows police to arrest a person without a warrant or a magistrate's order if they have information that the person is planning to commit a cognisable offence, the report further added.

Police have also registered a case against the eatery under the Excise Act for allegedly serving liquor illegally, Saxena said.

A separate case has been filed under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for allegedly disobeying an order issued by a public servant and failing to provide information sought by police, she added.

Also Read: Supreme Court cancels Sonam Raghuvanshi's bail, gives her 3 weeks to surrender

What happened to Raja Raghuvanshi?

The preventive arrests come in the wake of the sensational murder case involving Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, who travelled to Meghalaya with his wife, Sonam, for their honeymoon in May 2025.

The couple went missing after checking out of a homestay in Nongriat on May 23. Raja's body was recovered on June 2 from a deep gorge near Weisawdong Falls in Sohra, while Sonam was traced days later in Uttar Pradesh.

Meghalaya Police subsequently arrested Sonam, her alleged lover Raj Kushwaha and three alleged hired killers, Vishal Singh Chauhan, Akash Rajput and Anand Kurmi, in connection with the case. A chargesheet of more than 700 pages alleged that the murder was part of a pre-planned conspiracy.

Also Read: 'I am innocent, falsely implicated': Sonam tells Supreme Court in Raja Raghuvanshi murder case

The case has continued to see developments in the courts. The Meghalaya High Court had upheld Sonam's bail in June 2026, but the Supreme Court later cancelled the bail and directed her to surrender.

The top court, while hearing the Meghalaya government's challenge, had expressed reservations about the High Court's reasoning for granting her bail.

(With inputs from agencies)

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