Neither Raja nor Raj: Sonam wanted to elope with a mysterious third person after the murder, had purchased a flat in Indore
Not the main conspirator? Raj could have been a pawn
Indore hideout and planned disappearance
Live Events
MORE STORIES FOR YOU
✕
« Back to recommendation stories
I don't want to see these stories because
They are not relevant to me
They disrupt the reading flow
Others
SUBMIT
Mobile phones destroyed to erase trail
Three phones bought under false identity
(You can now subscribe to our
(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel
Investigators probing the murder of Indore-based transporter Raja Raghuvanshi during his honeymoon in Meghalaya now believe that his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi , may have planned the entire conspiracy. Contrary to earlier claims that Raj Kushwaha was the mastermind, officials now say he may have unknowingly assisted her escape.Sources suggest that Raj was in love with Sonam and was possibly misled by her. A senior officer said, 'Sonam appears to have manipulated each one of them, luring Raj through promises of love and possibly enticing others with financial gains.'Raj is believed to have arranged a cab for Sonam on June 6, helping her flee to Uttar Pradesh. She was eventually traced and detained in Ghazipur on June 8.Officials revealed that Sonam had arranged a flat in Indore well in advance, where she stayed hidden after the murder. She selected the location, made payments, and kept the address secret — even from those allegedly involved in the crime.Police suspect that while her family staged protests and searches were carried out across states, Sonam remained in Indore. She left only after she sensed the plan was falling apart.According to a UP police officer, Sonam briefly turned on her mobile phone near a highway dhaba in Ghazipur on June 9, which exposed her location. 'Sonam avoided her own phone after Raja's murder, using borrowed devices to contact Raj Kushwaha and others,' the officer said. 'Before calling her brother from the dhaba owner's phone, she turned on her phone — likely to note a relative's number. This triggered an SOS from Meghalaya and MP police, who alerted us.'This alert led the police to track her down at the dhaba and take her into custody.Investigators said Sonam had purchased three mobile phones — one basic handset and two Android smartphones — using ID documents of co-accused Anand Kurmi. 'Raj helped arrange the purchase,' the officer added.Logbook entries from the mobile shop matched police records. All phones and SIM cards were reportedly destroyed in Meghalaya in what officials describe as an attempt to erase digital footprints and mislead the investigation.Police are now focusing on verifying whether Sonam intended to elope with someone else, and whether others in the case were also misled about her true plans.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
27 minutes ago
- Hans India
‘Mangalsutra' clue made Sonam Raghuvanshi a prime suspect
The murder of Raja Raghuvanshi during his honeymoon in Meghalaya was unravelled after investigators found a mangalsutra and a ring left behind in a suitcase by his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, at a Sohra homestay, Meghalaya Police said. The ornaments became the first crucial lead in what turned out to be a chilling case of contract killing, allegedly masterminded by Sonam and her boyfriend. Raja, 29, and Sonam, 25, who had recently tied the knot in Indore on May 11, reached Meghalaya on May 20 for their honeymoon. The couple vanished on May 23 in Sohra, East Khasi Hills, just hours after checking out of a homestay in Nongriat village. On June 2, Raja's body was discovered in a gorge near Weisawdong Falls. The search for Sonam concluded when she surrendered in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur on June 9. Police also arrested her boyfriend, Raj Kushwaha, along with three contract killers allegedly hired by Sonam to carry out the murder. Meghalaya Director General of Police (DGP) I Nongrang revealed that a breakthrough in the case came when police recovered a mangalsutra and a ring from the suitcase Sonam had left at the Sohra homestay. 'A married woman leaving behind the ornaments gave us a clue to pursue her as a suspect in the case,' Nongrang said. According to a police officer involved in the investigation, the couple had arrived at the Sohra homestay on May 22 without prior booking and were unable to secure a room. They left their luggage at the property and planned to trek over 3,000 steps to reach Nongriat village, famous for its double-decker living root bridge. The couple spent the night at a homestay in Nongriat and checked out early on May 23. After trekking back to Sohra, they collected their scooter from a parking area and rode toward Weisawdong Falls. It was at this location that Raja was allegedly murdered in front of Sonam by the three hired assassins. A tour guide later informed police that he had seen the couple accompanied by three Hindi-speaking men while trekking back from Nongriat to Sohra, a detail that significantly aided the investigation. 'All the accused have admitted to the crime, and with all the evidence gathered, there is no room for denial,' the officer added. The police on Wednesday also said that all five accused have confessed to their roles in murdering Raja. A court in Shillong has since remanded Sonam, her boyfriend, Raj Kushwaha, and the three contract killers to eight days of police custody as the probe into the gruesome murder continues.
Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
Conman dupes woman, hands over fake notes
Hubballi: In a shocking case of fraud, a man from Mysuru posing as a financier duped a Pune-based woman of Rs60 lakh, under the pretext of arranging a Rs50 crore loan. The accused, identified as Mohammad Asif, convinced the woman he could facilitate a low-interest loan for her daughter's construction project in Mumbai. Asif demanded Rs60 lakh as processing fees and promised to deliver the first instalment of the sanctioned loan. On June 5, he called the woman to Hubballi and handed over two suitcases allegedly containing Rs1.87 crore in cash in front of a hotel on Gokul Road. However, the woman discovered later that the suitcases were filled with counterfeit currency, except for a few genuine Rs5,000 notes placed on the top of each bundle. Acting swiftly, police traced and arrested Mohammad Asif from Murudeshwar. He allegedly sourced fake notes from Tamil Nadu.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Meghalaya Murder: Raja's Killers Planned To Kill A Woman, Pass Body As That Of Sonam
Last Updated: The police said that the killers had planned to murder any woman and burn her body to pass it as that of Sonam so that she would be able to be in hiding for a few more days. Meghalaya Honeymoon Murder: The Meghalaya Police, investigating the murder of Indore-native newlywed Raja Raghuvanshi—who was killed during his honeymoon in the state—have identified Raj Kushwaha as the mastermind behind the chilling murder case, with Raja's wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, actively involved in the plot. The police said that the killers had planned to murder any woman and burn her body to pass it as that of Sonam so that she would be able to be in hiding for a few more days till the truth is known. On the first day of interrogation of Sonam, Raj and three others, who were arrested in connection with the killing of Raja Raghuvanshi, also revealed that she fled from Meghalaya in a burqa and reached Indore using various modes of transport like taxi, bus and train. 'The conspiracy to eliminate Raja was hatched in Indore, shortly before his wedding with Sonam on May 11, and the mastermind is Raj while the woman had agreed to the plot," East Khasi Hills district Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem told news agency PTI. 'The three young people were friends, and one of them is a cousin of Raj. It was not a typical contract killing. Yes, the plan was to kill and they did it as a favour to their friend Raj," Syiem said. Raj had given them Rs 50,000 for the expenditures, he said. Syiem further revealed that the plot began in February, when the group was in Indore. The plan revolved around making Sonam disappear, but later turned into a murder conspiracy. 'One plan was to make people believe that she would wash away by a river. Another plan was to murder any woman, burn the body and claim that it was of Sonam. However, none of the plans fructify," the police officer said. After Raja and Sonam were married on May 11, they visited the Kamakhya Devi Temple in Assam. A few days later, the accused also reached the area. According to police, the group initially planned to kill Raja in Guwahati, but later shifted the plan to Shillong. Syiem said they started together for Weisawdong Falls, and there all three hit Raja with a machete they bought in Assam and killed him in front of Sonam between 2 pm and 2.18 pm on May 23 before throwing the body in a gorge. Sonam gave Akash the raincoat she was wearing as his shirt had a blood spot. They left Weisawdong on scooters, and Akash threw the raincoat later as it too had blood stains. They also abandoned the two-wheeler hired by Sonam and Raja at a place, the SP said. The police recovered the raincoat and the two-wheeler when the search for Sonam was underway. 'Raj had given Vishal a burqa which he has handed over to Sonam. She wore it, went to the Police Bazaar and took a taxi to Guwahati. From Guwahati, she reached Siliguri (in West Bengal) on a bus. From there, she took buses to go to Patna and Arah and boarded a train for Lucknow. From Lucknow, Sonam took a bus and reached Indore," he said. On June 8, when Sonam had left Indore, two police teams from Meghalaya reached UP and Madhya Pradesh in civil dress. 'When the first arrest (Akash) was made in UP, Raj panicked and told Sonam to call up her family and tell them she just escaped from an abduction gang. That's how this whole thing came to light in Ghazipur," Syiem said. They had thought that Raja's body would not be discovered as it was remote and the police enquiry would take one to two months. So she thought of playing the victim card. 'We are recording their statements. We are questioning them. We will gather more evidence and reconstruct the crime scene," Syiem said. The officer said the police are confident to file a charge sheet in the case within the mandatory 90 days. All five were remanded to eight days of police custody on Wednesday. Raja Raghuvanshi Murder Case Raja and Sonam, who got married on May 11 in Indore, went to Meghalaya on their honeymoon. He was found dead in a gorge near Weisawdong Falls in East Khasi Hills district on June 2, 10 days after the couple went missing. The murder took a sensational turn when Raghuvanshi's wife, Sonam, was found in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur, around 1,200 km away, in the early hours of June 9 and surrendered. The police also held her three alleged aides, Akash Rajput (19), Vishal Singh Chauhan (22), and Raj Singh Kushwaha (20). (With inputs from agencies) About the Author Shobhit Gupta Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from More Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : Shillong Location : Shillong, India, India First Published: June 13, 2025, 13:15 IST
