From Indore to Meghalaya to UP — and back to Meghalaya: Sonam Raghuvanshi's journey to the crime scene
NEW DELHI: What began as a blissful honeymoon in the misty hills of Meghalaya has spiraled into one of the most chilling crime stories of the year — a tale of love, betrayal, and a murder that feels ripped straight from a Bollywood script.
Some 20 days ago, Sonam Raghuvanshi was living a quiet life in Indore. Newly married, she set off with her husband Raja for what was supposed to be the start of a lifelong journey. But behind the smiles and scenic selfies was a sinister plot — one that ended with Raja's brutal killing in the northeast and his mutilated body found beside a machete in the forested hills of Meghalaya.
The plot took a darker turn when Sonam resurfaced at a roadside dhaba in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur, far from the hills where her husband's life ended.
She called her family. She waited. And then, she surrendered.
Now, Sonam is being brought back — not as a grieving widow, but as the prime accused in her husband's murder.
Accompanying her are four others also in custody: Raj Kushwaha, the man alleged to be her lover and co-conspirator, and three contract killers said to have carried out the act.
All five will be taken to the crime scene, where investigators hope to reconstruct the events that unfolded in those remote woods.
Sonam Raghuvanshi's descent from newlywed to murder suspect now leads her back to the hills of Meghalaya.
After surrendering at a dusty dhaba in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur, the 26-year-old was held at a women's shelter until a team of Meghalaya Police arrived.
On Tuesday, she was officially taken into transit custody from Bihar's Phulwari Sharif police station. Her next stop: Shillong, where the murder of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, will be reconstructed with her as the central figure.
But Sonam won't be alone.
Three other accused — Raj Kushwaha, Akash Rajput, and Vishal Singh Chauhan — had already been placed on seven-day transit remand on Monday. The fourth accused, Anand, was brought to Indore from Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district.
Indore additional DCP (Crime) Rajesh Dandotiya confirmed that all four men, aged between 20 and 25, will be taken to Meghalaya for further questioning.
'Raj worked as an accountant in Sonam's office.
Vishal and Anand are students. Akash is currently unemployed. None of them has a criminal record,' Dandotiya said.
Police said Raja Raghuvanshi, a resident of Indore, was allegedly murdered in Meghalaya by contract killers reportedly hired by his wife, Sonam. The couple had gone missing during their honeymoon, and Raja's body was later found in a forested area.
According to the Meghalaya Special Investigation Team (SIT), post-mortem results revealed Raja suffered two serious head injuries. Investigators believe the murder was premeditated.
The accused are expected to be taken to the crime scene as part of the ongoing investigation. Authorities are now working to piece together the sequence of events leading up to the murder.
(With agency inputs)
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