The investigation into the honeymoon murder of Raja Raghuvanshi in Meghalaya has revealed a twisted tale of infidelity, conspiracy, and betrayal. His wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, is now the prime suspect, accused of plotting his murder with her alleged lover, Raj Kushwaha. The Meghalaya Police have pieced together a timeline indicating a carefully orchestrated plan with shocking details emerging.
Raja and Sonam Raghuvanshi married on May 11th and embarked on their honeymoon to Meghalaya on May 20th. Just days into the trip, on May 23rd, the couple disappeared. A week later, on June 2nd, Raja's body was discovered in a gorge in the East Khasi Hills district. The initial assumption was a robbery gone wrong, but inconsistencies quickly surfaced, pointing towards a more sinister plot.
Suspicion arose around Sonam's behavior and inconsistencies in her statements. Meghalaya police launched "Operation Honeymoon" on June 7th, and their investigation revealed that Sonam had been in constant contact with Raj Kushwaha, her alleged lover. Further investigation revealed that just four days after her wedding, Sonam returned to her parental home, where she allegedly met with Raj to finalize the murder plot. The plan was to eliminate Raja quickly, allowing Sonam to later reunite with Raj.
After the murder, Sonam's movements became crucial to the investigation. On May 25th, just two days after the murder, she traveled from Shillong to Indore via Siliguri by train. In Indore, she allegedly met with Raj and stayed in a rented accommodation. From there, she traveled to Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh, where she surrendered to the police. She was found at a 'dhaba' and initially claimed that Raja was killed by robbers for his jewelry, but refused to disclose her whereabouts or how she escaped.
Police have arrested five individuals in connection with the murder: Sonam Raghuvanshi, Raj Kushwaha, and three alleged contract killers: Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan, and Anand Kurmi. According to police reports, Sonam instructed the hired killers to "hit" Raja and was present during the murder. The accused arrived in Shillong on May 22nd, a day before the murder. The weapon used in the murder was reportedly purchased near the Guwahati railway station.
Investigators discovered that Sonam had allegedly asked Raja to bring expensive jewelry on the trip to stage a robbery gone wrong. She also did not post any pictures of her and Raja during their honeymoon, raising further suspicion. A social media post from Raja's account after his death also gave her away.
SP Vivek Syiem said, "All the dots connected to indicate that there was prior planning," . He also noted that the couple had not booked return flight tickets and changed their initial plan to visit a temple in Guwahati, choosing Meghalaya instead. This specific location in Meghalaya may have been chosen because another tourist had recently gone missing there and was found dead in a gorge after a fall.
Sonam's family has denied the allegations, with her father claiming her innocence and suggesting she escaped her captors. However, Raja's brother stated that one of the arrested men worked in Sonam's office. All the accused are now in custody and are being taken to Meghalaya for further investigation.
