Honeymoon, affair, and a gruesome murder: The Sonam Raghuvanshi case that has shaken India up
Meghalaya Murder case: The prime suspect is the victim's wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, while the mastermind is her lover - Raj Kushwaha.
What began as a honeymoon turned into a chilling murder investigation spanning three states. Indore's Raja Raghuvanshi was allegedly murdered by his wife and her former lover just days after their wedding.
Police in three states - Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh - worked together to uncover the sinister plot and catch the culprits. The prime suspect is the victim's wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, while the mastermind is her lover - Raj Kushwaha.
What happened in Meghalaya
Raja and Sonam got married on May 11 and left Indore for their honeymoon in Meghalaya on May 20. They were reported missing on May 23 after last being seen at a homestay in Shillong. CCTV footage showed the couple dressed in black jackets and carrying a white suitcase.
Raja's body was found on June 2 from a deep gorge near Wei Sawdong Falls in Sohra. A smartwatch on his wrist and a tattoo reading "Raja" on his hand helped confirm his identity. Police also recovered a white shirt believed to belong to Sonam, medication, a broken smartphone screen, and a machete stained with blood from the scene.
Sonam Raghuvanshi, 25, had been missing since the day of the disappearance and was tracked down over 1,200 kilometers away in Uttar Pradesh's Nandganj, where she was found crying at a roadside restaurant around 1 am on Monday. She was later taken to a women’s distress center and hospitalised. A Meghalaya police team is expected to bring her back for questioning.
The sinister plot
According to Indore’s Additional Deputy Police Commissioner Rajesh Dandotiya, Sonam conspired with her former partner, Raj Kushwaha, to kill Raja. Kushwaha, who worked at a tile distribution company owned by Sonam's brother, allegedly orchestrated the murder and hired three men - Vishal Chauhan, Anand Kumar, and Akash Rajput - to carry out the murder.
All three accomplices were allegedly in the area on May 23, the day the couple went missing. A local guide, Albert Pde, told police he saw the couple trekking with three unidentified men that morning near Mawlakhiat. Raja was walking with the men while Sonam followed behind.
Kushwaha and Chauhan were arrested in Indore, and Anand Kumar was nabbed in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh.
What role did Sonam Raghuvanshi play in the murder?
Investigators used Sonam's call records to establish her involvement, noting frequent communication with Kushwaha before and during the trip.
Police say Sonam Raghuvanshi shared the couple's live location with the assassins. A machete found near the crime scene was reportedly not a local tool, raising suspicions that it was brought from outside the region specifically for the killing. The weapon has been sent for forensic analysis.
Raja’s mother told police she received a breathless voice message from Sonam on May 23, stating she was trekking and refusing to break her fast. That was the last anyone heard from her until her recovery in Uttar Pradesh.
Raja’s brother, Vipul Raghuvanshi, accused Sonam and her family of being complicit and called for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the matter. “This was a premeditated murder. We need justice,” he said.
