Meghalaya Honeymoon Murder: Chilling Timeline Of Raja Raghuvanshis Killing Revealed
The vanishing of an Indore newlywed couple on their honeymoon in Meghalaya has turned into a murder case of sensational dimensions, with police claiming that Sonam Raghuvanshi had planned the murder of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, in league with her paramour and contract killers. Five arrests have resulted from a multi-state probe in a crime so professionally organised.
Honeymoon Turns Deadly
Raja, 26, and Sonam, 24, tied the knot in an arranged wedding in Indore on May 11, 2025. They had planned to tour Kashmir but changed their honeymoon plans to Meghalaya and checked into a hotel in Shillong on May 22 after visiting Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati. Sonam spoke to her mother-in-law on May 23, mentioning a fast and travel plans, before her phone went out of reach, as did Raja's. On the same day, a village head reported a rented scooter abandoned near a dhaba in Sohra, raising alarm.
Grim Discovery And Investigation
On May 24, Vipin, Raja's brother, reported the couple missing in Shillong. Search parties, including the NDRF and SDRF, combed the East Khasi Hills under heavy rain. On May 27, the scooter of the couple was discovered near a cafe on the Shillong-Sohra road with two bags in a nearby gorge. On June 2, Raja's decomposed body was found inside a 100-foot-deep gorge in the vicinity of Weisawdong waterfall, which was identified by a "Raja" tattoo and smartwatch. A machete stained with blood, a woman's blouse, a strip of medicine, and a smashed phone screen were also discovered.
Post-mortem examination found two significant head injuries inflicted with a sharp object, probably the machete, as the police called it, a device for cutting down trees. East Khasi Hills SP Vivek Syiem reiterated that the injuries indicated a premeditated attack.
Arrests And Alleged Conspiracy
Meghalaya Police accused Sonam of having conspired with her boyfriend Raj Kushwaha, who had employed three contract killers—Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan, and Anand Patel—to kill Raja. Call records and CCTV footage uncovered Rajput, who was arrested in Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh, while Kushwaha and Chauhan were arrested in Indore, and Patel in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh. On June 9, Sonam surrendered at a dhaba in Ghazipur, led by her brother, after going into hiding.
Police alleged that Sonam brought Raja to an isolated road on May 23, where he was attacked by the killers. The four accused then left for Guwahati, lived for one day, and dispersed to avoid detection. The testimony of a local guide that reported seeing three Hindi-speaking men with the couple corroborates the police theory of a premeditated conspiracy.
Sonam's Defense
Sonam's father, Devi Singh, refuted the murder-for-hire charge, stating his daughter was kidnapped and robbed and awoke in Ghazipur with no recollection of the incident. He has called for a CBI inquiry, alleging Meghalaya Police framed her. But police point to technical evidence, such as repeated calls between Sonam and Kushwaha, as evidence of her complicity.
Next Steps
All the five accused—Sonam, Kushwaha, Rajput, Chauhan, and Patel—are being taken to Shillong for crime scene recreation and further interrogation. Meghalaya Police will arraign them after court procedures. Chief Minister Conrad Sangma praised the prompt action of the police, highlighting the state's dedication to the safety of tourists even in the face of the high-profile case.
The inquiry is ongoing, with one suspect missing, as the country comes to terms with the tragic deceit behind the honeymoon murder of Raja Raghuvanshi.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
33 minutes ago
- Time of India
‘Won't break my Gyaras fast': Chilling last call haunts cops as Sonam leads Raja's Raghuvanshi to his death; here's what happened
INDORE: Cops are trying to demystify the timing of the phone call between Sonam and her mother-in-law Uma on the day of Raja Raghuvanshi's murder. They are trying to ascertain the chilling reality whether Raja was already dead when the call happened, or worse, was he being led to his death while Sonam calmly spoke to his family? The call was placed when the couple was on their way up after visiting double decker bridge in Nongrait village of Shillong, and Sonam told her mother that she would not break her 'Gyaras' fast just because they were away. "That one call haunts us," said a senior officer. "We now know from interrogations that the murder happened shortly after that phone conversation." ACP Poonamchand Yadav of the crime branch confirmed to TOI that the sequence of events shared by the accused places the murder soon after that call. Sonam was carrying a mobile phone at the time. When Raja's mother Uma called and asked to speak to her son, Sonam replied sweetly, "Raja is walking ahead... his phone is in the bag, I'll get him to call you later." She was panting and so the mother-in-law disconnected the call. "That was the last time we ever tried to talk to her," Uma said, her voice trembling. "I could never have imagined that the daughter-in-law, speaking so gently on the phone, was actually scouting for a spot to kill my son - perhaps even moments away from doing it." Police are now analyzing call duration, location data, and voice tone in what they describe as a "cold-blooded calm before the kill."
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Meghalaya murder: Sonam's call to saas on day of Raja death under cops' scanner
INDORE: A phone call between Sonam Raghuvanshi (in pic) and her mother-in-law on the day of Raja Raghuvanshi's murder has become a chilling focus of the police investigation - was Raja already dead by then, or worse, was he being led to his death while Sonam calmly spoke to his family?. ACP Poonamchand Yadav told TOI that the sequence of events shared by the accused times the murder soon after that call. "That one call haunts us," he said. "We now know from interrogations that the murder happened shortly after that phone conversation." The call was placed when the couple was reported to be on their way up after visiting a double-decker bridge in Shillong's Nongrait village. Sonam told her mother-in-law, Uma Raghuvanshi, that she would not break her 'Gyaras' fast just because they were away. When Uma called and asked her to connect with her son, Sonam replied sweetly, "Raja is walking ahead... his phone is in the bag, I'll get him to call you later." She was panting and so Uma disconnected the call. "That was the last time we ever tried to talk to her," Uma said, her voice trembling. "I could never have imagined that the daughter-in-law, speaking so gently on the phone, was actually scouting for a spot to kill my son - perhaps even moments away from doing it." Police are now analyzing call duration, location, and voice tone in what they describe as a "cold-blooded calm before the kill."
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Meghalaya honeymoon murder: Social media post from Raja Raghuvanshi's account confirmed cops' suspicions
GUWAHATI/SHILLONG: A honeymoon without a single photo. That was the first clue. Meghalaya Police SIT began suspecting foul play when they noticed newlyweds Raja & Sonam Raghuvanshi hadn't posted any pictures from their scenic trip to the northeast. That silence online opened the lid on what turned out to be a planned murder - a case codenamed unofficially by police as Operation Honeymoon. Raja Raghuvanshi, 28, a transporter from Indore, was found dead on June 2 in a gorge near Weisawdong Falls in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills. He had disappeared on May 23 along with 24-year-old Sonam, who reappeared at a roadside dhaba in UP's Ghazipur in the early hours of June 9. She was arrested, brought to Shillong Tuesday, and will be produced before a court on Wednesday. T by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Thousands Are Saving Money Using This Wall Plug elecTrick - Save upto 80% on Power Bill Click Here Undo he couple had married on May 11 and left days later for Guwahati, telling family they planned to visit the Kamakhya temple. On May 20, they reached Meghalaya. Three days later, both vanished. A rented scooter, abandoned near Shillong-Cherrapunji route, was found on May 24. It would take a nine-day search to locate Raja's body. A "dao" (machete) and phone lay nearby, with a blood-stained raincoat found a few km away. As SIT sifted through 42 surveillance videos and behaviour profiles, suspicions deepened. Footage placed Sonam meeting the alleged killers just 10km from the crime scene. The clincher came when a social media post appeared on Raja's account at 2.15am - hours after his death. Police said it was a red herring, likely posted by someone else to throw investigators off track. The conspiracy began well before the trip. Sonam, who returned to her parental home on May 15, allegedly resumed contact with her alleged lover Raj Kushwaha. Next day, Raj allegedly met three childhood friends - Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan, and Anand Kurmi - at a restaurant in Indore. The murder plan was allegedly sealed that evening. Raj stayed behind in Indore. The three boarded a train to Guwahati via Delhi and arrived in Shillong on May 21, police said. For the next two days, they allegedly tailed the couple with help from Sonam, who kept sending live locations. She is accused of luring Raja to secluded spots for photos, giving her co-conspirators the window they needed. Sonam's raincoat, handed to Akash, was found at crime scene.
