Sonam Raghuvanshi meticulously planned to pass off her husband Raja Raghuvanshi's murder as a robbery gone wrong during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, but a series of missteps and lies ultimately led to her undoing. The Meghalaya Police, through "Operation Honeymoon," pieced together the timeline of events, revealing a chilling conspiracy involving Sonam, her alleged lover Raj Kushwaha, and three hired killers.

Sonam and Raja Raghuvanshi got married on May 11, 2025, and embarked on their honeymoon to Meghalaya just days later, on May 20. However, the idyllic vacation quickly turned sinister. On May 23, the couple was reported missing. The next day, their rented scooter was found abandoned near a cafe on the road from Shillong to Sohra, raising initial concerns. The grim discovery of Raja's body on June 2 in a deep gorge below the Wei Sawdong Falls parking lot confirmed the worst fears and officially launched a homicide investigation.

From the outset, Sonam attempted to create a false narrative. She allegedly instructed the hired killers to "hit" Raja and planned to stage the scene to look like a robbery gone awry. According to police sources, Sonam even asked Raj to eliminate Raja Raghuvanshi and promising, “I will marry you after becoming a widow, my father would agree.” She left her home with jewellery and asked her husband to carry expensive jewellery to further cement the robbery motive. However, inconsistencies in her story and several pieces of evidence began to unravel her scheme.

One of the earliest clues that raised suspicion was Sonam's seemingly innocuous phone call to her mother-in-law, where she claimed to be fasting for Raja's health. However, investigators discovered that she had eaten at the hotel that day, exposing the first of many lies. This discrepancy prompted the Meghalaya police to place Sonam under technical surveillance, which revealed her constant communication with Raj Kushwaha.

Further investigation revealed that Sonam had met with the three hitmen approximately 10 kilometers from the crime scene. She was present during the murder. After the act, she traveled from Shillong to Indore via Siliguri by train. In Indore, she met with Raj, and stayed in a rented accommodation. Subsequently, she was driven to Uttar Pradesh, eventually being detained by local police in Ghazipur while at a 'dhaba'.

The weapon used in Raja's murder, a machete, was purchased near the Guwahati railway station. This type of machete was not commonly used in the Meghalaya region, immediately suggesting the involvement of outsiders. The police also found a blood-stained raincoat belonging to Sonam and a mobile screen at the crime scene. Additionally, a jacket belonging to one of the hitmen, Akash Kumri, was found, which contained blood stains. Sonam had given Akash her raincoat, which he then discarded at the crime scene, providing a crucial link to the perpetrators.

Adding to the evidence against her, Sonam did not post any pictures of her and Raja during their honeymoon trip on social media, which struck investigators as unusual. A post from Raja's social media account after his murder, which read "Saat janmon ka saath (Together for seven lifetimes)", also seemed suspicious and out of character, further solidifying the police's doubts.

Raj Kushwaha, during interrogation, revealed that Sonam had discussed the murder plot with him in detail, including how to cover it up. He stated that Sonam had promised to marry him after becoming a widow, assuring him that her father would then approve of their relationship. To erase traces of communication, Sonam destroyed her mobile phone.

In the end, the combination of Sonam's lies, her communication with Raj and the hitmen, the physical evidence left at the crime scene, and the inconsistencies in her behavior exposed her plot. She was arrested along with Raj Kushwaha and the three hitmen, bringing an end to her elaborate scheme to deceive investigators and pass off her husband's murder as a robbery gone wrong.