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.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
23 minutes ago
- Hans India
Maharashtra: Wife kills husband with axe 3 weeks after marriage
Sangli: Just days after the gruesome Raja Raghuvanshi murder case sent shockwaves across the country, another chilling crime involving a newlywed couple has emerged, this time from Maharashtra, where a woman, married for just three weeks, allegedly killed her husband. The woman used an axe to kill her husband while he slept following a heated argument over the latter's insistence on consummating their marriage 15 days after the wedding. The incident took place in Sangli district on the night of June 10, officials confirmed on Thursday. According to the police, the couple -- Anil Lokhande and Radhika Lokhande -- were married on May 23. The officials mentioned that it was Anil's second marriage. His first wife had died of cancer. On Tuesday night, the couple engaged in a violent altercation over consummation that reportedly continued late into the night. Radhika was exasperated by Anil's insistence, and around midnight, when he retired to bed, in a sudden act of rage, she picked up an axe and fatally struck her husband on the head, the officials said. He died instantly, officials said. Shortly after committing the murder, Radhika reportedly called her cousin and confessed to the crime. Police arrested her on Wednesday and produced her before a magistrate, who remanded her to two days' police custody. A case has been registered against her under Section 103 (1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertains to murder. Police sources indicate that ongoing family discord may have led to the crime, though further investigations are underway to determine the precise motive. This shocking incident comes close on the heels of the sensational murder of Indore-based Raja Raghuvanshi during his honeymoon in Meghalaya. Raja and his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, were married on May 11 and had left for their honeymoon on May 20. Merely three days into the trip, both went missing. The case, which initially began as a missing person report, took a sinister turn when Raja's body was discovered in a deep gorge in Meghalaya on June 2. His autopsy revealed two severe head injuries -- one at the back and another on the front -- confirming a brutal murder. Further investigation uncovered a premeditated plot allegedly orchestrated by Sonam, her lover Raj Kushwaha, and three of his friends -- Akash Rajput, Anand Kurmi, and Vishal Singh Chauhan. On June 7, Sonam surrendered in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh. All five accused, including Sonam and Raj, confessed to the crime and have been remanded to eight days of police custody.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
YouTubers Finny Da Legend and Bubbly fatally shot during livestream in Las Vegas, here's why
Sin-City MannyWise shot Finny Da Legend and his wife Bubbly in Las Vegas (Image via Youtube) A long-running online rivalry between YouTube streamers tragically escalated into a real-world double homicide near the iconic Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas in June 8. YouTuber Rodney Finley, known as "Finny Da Legend," and his wife, Tanisha Finley, known as "Bubbly," were fatally shot during a livestream by a fellow YouTuber Manuel Ruiz, who goes by "SinCity-MannyWise. During the livestream, SinCity-MannyWise approached the couple, leading to a brief exchange before gunfire erupted. Authorities say Finny Da Legend was shot multiple times, while Bubbly was fatally struck in the head. YouTube has since terminated SinCity-MannyWise's channel, "Sin City Family," citing violations of community guidelines. A digital rivalry turns deadly: YouTuber SinCity-MannyWise shoots YouTuber Finny Da Legend The confrontation between Finny Da Legend and SinCity-MannyWise stemmed from years of online disputes, including trolling, copyright strikes, and heated livestream exchanges. Witnesses say the feud escalated in 2023 when SinCity-MannyWise allegedly pepper-sprayed Bubbly during an in-person encounter. The horrifying incident unfolded around 10:40 p.m. on South Las Vegas Boulevard, captured live on Finny Da Legend's YouTube stream before it was later removed by the platform. Officers on routine patrol nearby heard gunfire and rushed to the scene, finding both victims with gunshot wounds. Despite immediate medical aid, both were pronounced deceased at the scene. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Una inversión en Amazon podría darte un salario extra. Undo YouTuber SinCity-MannyWise claims self defence After turning himself in, SinCity-MannyWise told the court that he acted in self-defense, claiming that Finny Da Legend made a threatening motion and reached toward his waistband. He also admitted to shooting Bubbly, believing she had a weapon—later identified as a phone gimbal. The judge denied bail, and SinCity-MannyWise remains in custody at the Clark County Detention Center as the case unfolds. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Honeymoon murder: Meghalaya govt felicitates tourist guide, 35 others for assisting police in probe
The Meghalaya government on Thursday felicitated a tourist guide and 35 others for helping the state police trace the body of Raja Raghuvanshi , who was allegedly killed by his wife Sonam and her four aides during their honeymoon in the state, and in the investigation process. State minister Paul Lyngdoh distributed cash rewards of Rs 5.4 lakh to travel guide Albert Pde and 35 others, including several mountaineers, and tour facilitators, for actively assisting the police in search operations during a preliminary investigation into the case. Raghuvanshi and his wife went missing while vacationing in Sohra area in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district on May 23. His body was found in a gorge on June 2, while a search for his wife was conducted. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Ethiopia: New Small Electric Car For Seniors. Prices Might Surprise You. Electric Cars | Search Ads Undo Pde had said he saw the couple accompanied by the three men as they were climbing over 3,000 steps from Nongriat to Mawlakhiat around 10 am on May 23. The tourist guide had claimed that he identified one of the suspects from the photos provided by the police. Addressing the event, Lyngdoh, the state tourism minister, urged visitors to come to Meghalaya, claiming that "unlawful activities would not be tolerated". Live Events He said the government is planning to install CCTV cameras in key tourist spots. Sonam, aged 24, was arrested from Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh, while her aides were apprehended from Indore in Madhya Pradesh for their alleged role in conspiring and killing Raja Raghuvanshi. The woman was brought here on Tuesday midnight, while the other accused reached on Wednesday on transit remand, a senior officer said. A court in Shillong on Wednesday sent Sonam and her four aides to eight-day police custody, an official said.
