The Meghalaya honeymoon murder case has taken a dramatic turn, with the arrest of Sonam Raghuvanshi, the wife of the deceased Raja Raghuvanshi, and the emergence of a key witness: a local tour guide. The guide's statement has been instrumental in transforming Sonam from a seemingly distressed wife into a prime suspect in her husband's murder.

Raja and Sonam Raghuvanshi, newlyweds from Indore, Madhya Pradesh, embarked on their honeymoon to Meghalaya in May 2025. They married on May 11 and reached Meghalaya on May 21 to visit the Kamakhya Temple and explore the North East. However, their idyllic getaway turned into a nightmare when Raja's body was discovered in a deep gorge near Cherrapunji on June 2. He was found in a decomposed state, suggesting that he was murdered shortly after their last known movement. The autopsy revealed that Raja sustained two head injuries inflicted by a sharp weapon, believed to be a machete. His gold chain, gold engagement ring, gold wedding ring, gold bracelet, and wallet containing cash were missing.

Initially, Sonam was also reported missing, leading to a massive search operation. However, suspicions arose when she resurfaced in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, over 1200 km away from the crime scene. She was found near a roadside dhaba. She surrendered at the Nandganj police station. Meghalaya Police was granted a three-day transit remand for Sonam and she is being taken to Shillong for further investigation.

The turning point in the investigation came with the statement of Albert Pde, a local tour guide in Mawlakhiat. Pde told the police that he had seen Raja and Sonam on May 23, the day they went missing, accompanied by three other men. He recalled that the men were speaking in Hindi, indicating that they were not local residents. Pde had offered to guide the couple to Nongriat on May 22, but they declined his service and went with another guide. The next day, he saw them again, this time with three unknown men, climbing the 3,000 steps back to Mawlakhiat.

This information was crucial for the police, as it suggested that Raja's murder was not a random act but a planned execution. The presence of the three men, who were later identified as hired assassins, pointed towards a conspiracy. Police suspect that the murder was premeditated and meticulously planned by Sonam and her alleged lover, Raj Kushwaha. Though Raj did not travel with the couple to Meghalaya, officials believe he remained in constant contact with Sonam over the phone.

The police investigation revealed that Sonam was allegedly having an affair with Raj Kushwaha, a 21-year-old former employee at her family's plywood business. Kushwaha is believed to be the mastermind behind the murder plot, and he allegedly hired three accomplices to carry out the crime. The three men have been identified as Vishal Singh Chauhan, Akash Rajput and Anand Singh Kurmi. They traveled to Meghalaya via Guwahati to execute the plan. The murder weapon, a local dao, was likely procured in Guwahati.

Following Sonam's surrender, police arrested Raj Kushwaha and the three alleged hitmen. Raj Kushwaha even attended Raja Raghuvanshi's funeral. One of the funeral attendees recognized Kushwaha's photograph following his arrest. Meghalaya Police got the transit remand of the three accused in Indore’s Raja Raghuvanshi murder case on Monday. The police are also pushing for a transit remand of Raja's wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, the main accused in the case.

Sonam initially tried to mislead the police by claiming she had been kidnapped and drugged. According to UP Police's Additional DGP Amitabh Yash, she attempted to pose as a victim, hoping to escape suspicion. However, gaps in her story and coordination between state police forces led to her arrest. “She's a poor planner who lacked knowledge of police procedures,” said Yash.

Sonam's father, Devi Singh, has denied the allegations against his daughter, accusing the Meghalaya Police of fabricating the case. He claimed that Sonam had reached a roadside dhaba in Ghazipur on her own on Sunday night and called her brother, following which the police arrived and took her into custody. He has demanded a CBI inquiry into the incident.

The Meghalaya Police are continuing their investigation into the case, and they are working to uncover the full extent of the conspiracy. The case has shocked the nation, and it has raised questions about the safety of tourists in Meghalaya.