SHILLONG, June 13: In a disturbing turn of events, Meghalaya Police on Thursday revealed chilling new details in the murder of Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, who was killed during his honeymoon trip to Sohra in the East Khasi Hills district. Investigators have uncovered a premeditated conspiracy orchestrated by his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, and her alleged boyfriend, Raj Kushwaha, with the help of three accomplices.
According to East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem, the plot to murder Raja was hatched in Indore months before his wedding with Sonam on May 11. The investigation has revealed that Raj Kushwaha was the mastermind behind the murder, with Sonam acting as an active co-conspirator.
In an attempt to deflect suspicion and delay discovery, the accused had even devised alternate plans — including murdering a random woman and burning her body to pass it off as Sonam’s — so she could disappear and buy more time. Another version of the plan involved making it seem like she had drowned in a river. However, none of these alternate plots materialized.
After their wedding, Raja (29) and Sonam (24) traveled to Meghalaya for their honeymoon and were reported missing on May 23. Raja’s body was later discovered in a gorge near Weisawdong Falls on June 2. Meanwhile, Sonam resurfaced in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur on June 9 and surrendered to the authorities.
Police investigations revealed that Sonam and the accused men met up in Nongriat. Together, they proceeded to Weisawdong Falls on May 23. Between 2:00 and 2:18 pm, Raja was attacked and killed with a machete, reportedly in the presence of Sonam. The murder weapon had been purchased earlier in Assam.
After the killing, the group attempted to cover their tracks. Sonam gave her raincoat to one of the accomplices, Akash, as his shirt had blood on it. The raincoat, later found to be stained as well, was discarded. The two-wheeler rented by the couple was also abandoned.
Wearing a burqa provided by Raj, Sonam fled from Police Bazaar in Shillong and began a multi-state escape journey using taxis, buses, and trains. She traveled through Guwahati, Siliguri, Patna, Arah, Lucknow, and finally reached Indore. Raj had instructed her to later emerge in Siliguri and claim she had been abducted.
However, police teams from Meghalaya, working in plain clothes, tracked the suspects to Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Following the arrest of Akash in UP, Raj panicked and instructed Sonam to contact her family and fabricate a story about being kidnapped — a ruse that ultimately failed when she surrendered in Ghazipur.
Raj Kushwaha and three others — Vishal, Akash, and Anand — have been arrested alongside Sonam. The three men, believed to be friends of Raj (one is his cousin), carried out the murder not for financial gain but as a favor, police said. Raj had provided Rs 50,000 to cover the expenses.
All five accused have been remanded to eight days of police custody by a Meghalaya court as the investigation continues.
In a related development, local residents and a tourist guide who provided key information during the investigation were honored by the Meghalaya government for their assistance in cracking the case.
