Sonam told her family about lover before marrying Raja, warned...: Raja's brother

India Today

2 days ago

The murder of Indore-based Raja Raghuvanshi during his honeymoon in Meghalaya has taken a chilling turn, with the victim's brother revealing that the accused wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, had informed her family about her love affair prior to marriage and had warned them that something tragic could happen if she was forced to marry Raja.Vipin Raghuwanshi, Raja's elder brother, told Aaj Tak, India Today's sister channel, that Sonam had confided in her mother about her relationship with Raj Kushwaha, the man now accused of plotting Raja's murder with her. But Sonam's family refused to accept the relationship, insisting that her marriage must happen within their community. advertisement"A close acquaintance of Sonam's family told me that Sonam had confided in her mother that she was in love with someone else. But her family had told her, 'You can love whoever you want, but your marriage will happen within the community.' To that, Sonam had said, 'Fine, wherever I get married, whatever happens afterward, I will not be responsible for it,'" Vipin Raghuwanshi said.
Sonam's mother had earlier told Uma Raghuvanshi, Raja's mother, that her husband was very strict and didn't let Sonam leave the house."Raja used to say that Sonam didn't talk to him, that she used to ignore him - he had told us this himself. Her father used to say, 'Our daughter is a good girl, she doesn't even step out of the house.' She had only booked a one-way ticket for the honeymoon. We were looking at Raja's happiness - he was happy, so we were happy too. We had no idea that Sonam would do something like this," Uma Raghuvanshi said.advertisementAs details continue to emerge, police say Sonam plotted Raja's murder just three days after their May 10 wedding in Indore. On May 21, the couple reached Meghalaya for their honeymoon. A day later, three contract killers arrived in Shillong, as per a timeline shared by senior Shillong Police official Vivek Syiem.Raja Raghuvanshi's body was discovered in a gorge in East Khasi Hills district on June 2. Initially reported missing, Sonam vanished after the alleged murder. Suspicion quickly fell on her, and by June 7, Meghalaya Police launched 'Operation Honeymoon' to track her down.Sources revealed that Sonam was present at the crime scene and instructed the contract killers to "hit him (Raja)". A CCTV footage shows her speaking to the accused hitmen around 10 kilometres from where Raja was killed. The murder weapon was reportedly bought near Guwahati railway station.Following the murder, Sonam fled to Indore via Siliguri on May 25. There, she reunited with her alleged lover Raj Kushwaha and stayed in a rented accommodation. The couple later travelled to Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh via Varanasi. Sonam was detained at a roadside dhaba in Ghazipur on June 10, after being on the run for days.The police also recovered crucial forensic evidence from the crime scene, including a blood-stained raincoat belonging to Sonam, which she had reportedly handed to one of the killers. A mobile screen and a jacket belonging to another accused were also recovered.advertisementAmong the four accused - Raj Kushwaha, Akash Rajpoot, Vikas alias Vicky, and Anand - Vishal was the first to attack Raja. When arrested, Anand was still wearing the same clothes he wore during the crime, officials said.A Facebook post made from Raja's account after his death - "Saat janmon ka saath (Together for seven lifetimes)" - added to the police's suspicions.According to police sources, chats recovered between Sonam and Raj Kushwaha revealed that she had emotionally distanced herself from Raja even before their marriage. In one message, she told Raj she was uncomfortable with Raja getting intimate with her and that she wanted to eliminate him.The accused deliberately selected a remote location - Meghalaya - for the crime. The autopsy confirmed multiple sharp injuries on Raja's body, with major wounds on both the front and back of his head.Tune InMust Watch