Meghalaya honeymoon case: How Sonam, her boyfriend plotted and planned Raja Raghuvanshi's murder

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Police said Sonam Raghuvanshi is the prime accused, while Raj Kushwaha is in custody in connection with the murder of Indore-based Raja Raghuvanshi during their honeymoon in Meghalaya. According to the cops, Sonam was in a relationship that led to Raja's killing. Investigators said Raj Kushwaha hired the killers and instructed them on the phone, while Sonam led her husband to them read more
So far, four people have been arrested in connection with Raja's murder, including his wife Sonam and her alleged boyfriend. Image: News18
As the police make arrests in the Meghalaya honeymoon murder case, all the threads of the case are beginning to unravel.
Now, details have emerged about how Sonam and her alleged boyfriend, Raj Kushwaha, planned the killing of Indore-based Raja Raghuvanshi.
Meghalaya Police said on Monday that Sonam Raghuvanshi is the prime accused, while Raj Kushwaha is currently in custody.
ALSO READ | Why did Sonam Raghuvanshi plan the killing during Meghalaya honeymoon?
So far, four people have been arrested in connection with Raja's murder, including his wife Sonam and her alleged boyfriend.
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The case first raised concern when the couple went missing, and the husband was later found dead. Things took a sharp turn when the police arrested the 'missing' wife for her role in the murder.
In this explainer, we look at how Sonam and her alleged boyfriend plotted her husband's murder, what the police said, and the latest developments in the case.
Let's take a look:
Meghalaya honeymoon murder: How Raja Raghuvanshi's murder was plotted
Raja Raghuvanshi, 29, and his wife Sonam, 24, went missing on May 23 while on their honeymoon. A week later, Raja's body was recovered from a gorge.
A search was launched for Sonam, who was eventually found in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, a week after the body was discovered.
Meghalaya police believes Sonam was having an affair that led to Raja's murder.
Investigators said she planned the killing along with her boyfriend, Raj Kushwaha. Sonam later surrendered on June 8, reportedly 'under pressure'. Both were then taken into custody.
The couple went missing on May 23. Image: News18
Notably, the police were confident early in the investigation that Sonam was alive and involved in the case. While going through her phone records, they came across her conversations with Raj Kushwaha. These calls confirmed the two knew each other well and were in a relationship, sources told NDTV.
Although Raj Kushwaha did not travel to Shillong, police say he planned the murder from Indore, giving instructions over the phone.
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Sources told ThePrint that Raj's associates arrived in Meghalaya on May 22, just a day before Raja was killed.
Throughout the planning and execution of the crime, Raj reportedly stayed in touch with Sonam over the phone.
Three men, Akash, Vishal and Anand, are believed to be the contract killers who followed the couple in Shillong. The murder happened after Sonam allegedly took Raja to a deserted road in Cherrapunji, sources told CNN-News18.
Vishal Chauhan, Raj Kushwaha and Akash Rajput are the three accused in the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case.
Photo source: Indore Police pic.twitter.com/MLEavcbUL4 — ANI (@ANI) June 9, 2025
'We suspect that the plan was to isolate Raja. It was strategically planned to take him for a trek and then to be intercepted by the accused,' a senior officer told ThePrint.
After the murder, all four, including Sonam, travelled from Shillong to Guwahati in Assam. They spent a day there before going their separate ways.
Reports said the accused followed Raja and Sonam during their Meghalaya trip until Sonam led him to a remote area in Cherrapunji, where the three attackers struck.
Once Raja's body was found and brought back to Indore, Raj Kushwaha was seen beside Sonam's father, Devi Singh, during the last rites, officers told The Indian Express.
Notably, Kushwaha worked in the billing department of a plywood unit owned by Sonam's family. After college, Sonam worked in the HR department.
They had met nearly two years ago and gradually became close, officers told the publication. Kushwaha used to live near Sonam's family but had recently shifted to the Nandbagh area, where the others suspected in the murder also lived.
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'I was abducted, abandoned': What Sonam Raghuvanshi said after her arrest
In her first statement after being taken into custody, Sonam Raghuvanshi said she was not guilty and claimed she had been kidnapped.
Police sources told CNN-News18 that Sonam said she was not involved in the crime and insisted she was a victim.
She also said that after being kidnapped, she was left in Ghazipur, from where she contacted her brother.
Her family, too, has denied that she had any link to the three men from Madhya Pradesh accused of killing her husband. They have called for a CBI investigation into the matter.
How Sonam Raghuvanshi was arrested in Ghazipur
Sonam was caught at a roadside eatery (dhaba) on the main Varanasi-Ghazipur road.
A worker at the 'dhaba' later told reporters that a woman had arrived late on the night of June 8 and appeared upset. She had been crying and asked to use a phone to speak to her family.
The worker confirmed that she made a call and told someone where she was.
#WATCH | Sahil Yadav, owner of Kashi Dhaba, where UP Police found Sonam Raghuvanshi late last night, says "Sonam came here around 1 AM. She wanted my phone to call her family members, and I gave it to her. She started crying when she called her family. I took my phone from her… pic.twitter.com/E9VGJ01OMs — ANI (@ANI) June 9, 2025
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It was later revealed that Sonam had contacted her brother, Govind, and told him she was in Uttar Pradesh.
Police said Sonam had turned herself in, though Raja Raghuvanshi's family has disagreed with that version.
So far, five people have been arrested and will be taken to Shillong for legal action.
Sonam and Raja Raghuvanshi: From disappearance to wife's arrest, a timeline of key events
Raja and Sonam, who tied the knot on May 11 in Indore, had travelled to Meghalaya for their honeymoon.
They went missing on May 23, just hours after leaving a homestay in Nongriat village, which is about 20 km from where Raja's body was later discovered.
Sonam has now been taken into custody in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur after turning herself in. Image: News18
Below is a timeline of the main events:
May 20, Guwahati: The couple began their honeymoon journey. Guwahati was their first stop.
May 21, Shillong: Raja and Sonam reached Balaji Guest House in Shillong, Meghalaya, and checked in.
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May 22 morning, Shillong: They rented a scooter from Keating Road and came back to the guest house. Before leaving, they told the manager they would return by May 25 or would call if they needed the room again.
May 22 evening, Mawlakhiat, East Khasi Hills: Riding the rented scooter, the couple reached Mawlakhiat village. They then trekked down over 3,000 steps to Nongriat village to see the living root bridges, where they stayed for the night, according to police.
May 23, morning: Mawlakhiat, East Khasi Hills: They checked out of Shipara Homestay and came back to Mawlakhiat without their guide. After leaving the village, they went missing from the Sohra (Cherrapunji) area.
A search was launched in nearby places with help from local villagers. Albert Pde, a local guide in Mawlakhiat, told PTI he had seen the couple with three other male tourists around 10 am on May 23, while they were climbing back up from Nongriat to Mawlakhiat.
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May 24, Sohrarim: The village head of Sohrarim in East Khasi Hills told the police about a scooter found abandoned in their area.
May 25, Sohrarim: Police tracked down the owner of the scooter, who confirmed at the Sohra police station that it had been rented by the Raghuvanshi couple.
June 2, Wei Sawdong Falls: Raja's semi-decomposed body was found at the bottom of a gorge near the Weisawdong Falls parking area at Riat Arliang. He was identified by a 'Raja' tattoo on his right hand.
Near the body, police also found a machete, a woman's white shirt, a strip of tablets, part of a phone screen, and a smartwatch.
June 4, Sohra: A blood-stained raincoat, believed to possibly belong to the missing tourist, was discovered near Mawkma Road in Sohra. It has been sent for forensic testing.
June 9, Ghazipur, UP: Sonam was located and arrested. The DGP said Sonam surrendered to the police in Ghazipur, while three of the attackers were caught in late-night raids. Raj Kushwaha was arrested later.
With inputs from agencies