Who is Sonam Raghuvanshi, accused of plotting her husband’s murder during their honeymoon in Meghalaya?
Sonam and Raja Raghuvanshi from Indore went missing during their honeymoon in Meghalaya; later, Raja’s body was found, while Sonam has since been located.
Sonam Raghuvanshi, wife of Indore man Raja Raghuvanshi, is accused of hiring a group of killers to murder her husband, Meghalaya Police said on Monday. The couple had gone missing during their honeymoon in Meghalaya on May 23, just days after their marriage in Madhya Pradesh.
A senior Uttar Pradesh Police official said Sonam was located near a dhaba on the Varanasi-Ghazipur main road.
Meghalaya DGP told ANI that three men were arrested in connection with the case, and the woman who surrendered was identified as Sonam.
Who is Sonam Raghuvanshi? How was she caught?
Sonam Raghuvanshi, wife of Raja Raghuvanshi, both residents of Indore in Madhya Pradesh, went missing with her husband during their honeymoon in Meghalaya. Raja’s body was later recovered in the state.
The first photo of the "missing" Sonam surfaced, showing her at a one stop centre in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, wearing a black T-shirt and black track pants, appearing visibly distressed.
She was found near a dhaba in Nandganj, about 40 km from Varanasi. According to the dhaba owner, Sonam asked to use his mobile phone and called someone at her house. Police were then informed, and a team arrived at the dhaba. The owner said, “When she came to the dhaba, she was looking upset.”
Ghazipur police have not yet issued a formal statement, but sources indicate that Sonam was found in a dishevelled condition. She is currently housed at the Sakhi One Stop Centre, and Madhya Pradesh Police have been informed. Further details are awaited.
Meanwhile, Sonam’s father, Devi Singh, has strongly criticised the investigation. Speakign to ANI he said, “Meghalaya CM is lying regarding this case. A CBI inquiry should be done on him as well. I am sure that the CM is also lying. Union home minister Amit Shah should send the CBI there as soon as possible.”
He further stated, “Sonam called his brother, Govind, who informed me that Sonam has been found at a dhaba in Ghazipur. My appeal to the government is to get a CBI inquiry done. Meghalaya Police is lying. They did not do any inquiry. I am 100% sure that Meghalaya Police is involved in the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi. I have not spoken to the family of Raja Raghuvanshi. Sonam and Raja did not know each other before marriage. It was an arranged marriage. I have not been able to speak to my daughter. Only my son, Govind, spoke to Sonam around 2 AM. Sonam reached the dhaba in Ghazipur on her own. Meghalaya Police is trying to trap Sonam in this case. If CBI inquiry is done, officials of the Police Station in Meghalaya will be behind bars.”
On Friday, Sonam’s family requested that the Centre transfer the case to the CBI, expressing dissatisfaction with the Meghalaya Police’s handling of the investigation.
“My daughter has been abducted and is still in the clutches of her captors. Meghalaya Police are not investigating the matter properly. They have been negligent right from the beginning. I have been seeking the deployment of the Army since the day they went missing. If it was done in time, they would have been found safely,” Sonam’s father, Devi Singh Raghuvanshi, told PTI.
The couple, who married on May 11, left for their honeymoon on May 20. They reached Mawlakhiat village on May 22 using a rented scooter.
On May 24, the scooter was discovered abandoned at a cafe along the road between Shillong and Sohra, prompting a search operation.
A special investigation team (SIT), led by an SP and supported by four DSPs, is currently probing the case.
