Honeymoon Murder| Scrutiny over shaadi setups after Sonam-Raja Raghuvanshi case, spousal crimes raise concerns
Murder of MP's Raja, during his honeymoon in Meghalaya, and arrest of his wife Sonam has sparked demand for thorough background checks in arranged marriages.
The killing of Indore-based Raja Raghuvanshi is one of many incidents where newlyweds have been deceived by their partners. A 2023 report by Ekam Nyaay Foundation titled Husband Murder By Wife & Suicide By Men, analysed that a total of 306 murders of men by an intimate partner have been documented from January to December in 2023. About 213 of these cases were attributed to adultery by the wife.
A spike in reportage of such incidents has put increased onus on matchmakers. Delhi-based matchmaker Vikas Gupta shares, “There is pressure on us to do background checks more thoroughly. Ab log humein aise incidents ka example dekar bolte hain, ‘Dekhna ki humare bachchon ke saath aisa na ho’.”
“These are not isolated incidents but societal failures wrapped in silence and stigma,” says Dr Sapna Zarwal, Gurugram-based psychologist and relationship therapist, adding, “Crimes like this don’t come out of nowhere. They build up silently, when one confuses control for love and rejection for humiliation.”
The Honeymoon murder Case
On May 23, newlyweds Raja Raghuvanshi (30) and Sonam Raghuvanshi (24) went missing during their honeymoon to Cherrapunji, Meghalaya. On June 2, Raja’s body was discovered in a gorge at Sohrarim near Cherrapunji, while Sonam remained missing. On June 9, Sonam was reportedly taken into custody by Uttar Pradesh Police in Ghazipur; three other individuals were also arrested for in connection to Raja’s murder.
Detectives speak
Mukesh Tomar, Suryasarthi Intelligence And Security Services, Indore, says: “We are seeing how logon ke andar ek darr sa baith gaya hai. Earlier, lower middle-class families rarely hired private detective agencies when accepting marriage proposals, as not everyone can afford such services. Now, no one wants to take a chance, especially those seeking matches through matrimonial websites. We offer a package of ₹40,000 for a complete background check that includes financial details, health, and most importantly, ladke ya ladki ka character.”
Rajiv Kumar, City Intelligence Pvt Ltd, Delhi, says: “After such recent incidents, even parents are more involved in hiring detective agencies. Log ab background checks ki importance samajhne lage hain and bina iske shaadi nahin karna chah rahe. Parents want to find out whether their prospective daughter-in-law or son-in-law has been completely honest about themselves to avoid any potential scope of adultery post-marriage.”
Raaj Talele, Spyera Security And Detective Agency, Mumbai, says, “I’m receiving around 30 inquiries a month, and close to 20 are related to matrimonial background checks, both pre and post-wedding. Agar kisi ke ghar mein shaadi hai aur woh news mein aise incidents dekhte hain, they start panicking. People who earlier went by the opinions of relatives of friends are now routing their queries to us.”
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