Raja Raghuvanshi's final trip: Inside the bloody path taken by Sonal Raghuvanshi which led to the Meghalaya honeymoon murder
A honeymoon trip to Meghalaya turned fatal for 30-year-old Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi. On 2 June, his decomposed body was recovered from a gorge near the picturesque Weisawdong Falls in East Khasi Hills. He had been missing since 23 May, just days after arriving with his wife Sonam for what was meant to be a holiday.
An autopsy confirmed sharp-force injuries to his head. It was no accident. What followed was a police operation that crossed state lines, uncovered a murder conspiracy, and exposed a chilling betrayal.
Five in custody, motive under scrutiny
Police have arrested all five individuals linked to the crime. They include Raja's wife Sonam Raghuvanshi (25), her alleged lover Raj Kushwaha (21), and three men accused of executing the murder: Vishal Singh Chauhan (22), Anand Kurmi (23), and Akash Rajput (19).
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ACP Poonam Chand Yadav, speaking to India Today TV, confirmed, 'All four accused have confessed to killing Raja Raghuvanshi. The first blow was struck by Vishal alias Vicky Thakur.'
Yadav added that Sonam was present at the scene and 'watched her husband die.' The men then allegedly threw Raja's body into a deep gorge.
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A murder months in the making
Raja and Sonam were married on 10 May in Indore. Less than two weeks later, they travelled to Shillong. On 21 May, they hired a scooter to explore the nearby Sohra region. By the next day, they had vanished.
Unbeknownst to Raja, a plan was allegedly already in motion. Vishal, Akash, and Anand took a multi-train route from Indore to Meghalaya, via Guwahati and Shillong. The murder weapon, police say, was purchased near Guwahati railway station.
Raj Kushwaha, according to police, stayed back in Indore but helped fund the journey, giving each man ₹40,000 to ₹50,000. Sonam was in regular phone contact with Raj throughout the trip.
Operation Honeymoon: The police trail
eghalaya Police launched 'Operation Honeymoon' on 7 June after Sonam went missing following Raja's death. CCTV footage showed her meeting the alleged killers just 10 km from the crime scene. She then left Shillong for Indore via Siliguri on 25 May.
In Indore, police say she met Raj and stayed with him in a rented house before heading to Uttar Pradesh. On 9 June, local police in Ghazipur found her at a roadside dhaba. She surrendered.
Sonam's father has claimed she is being falsely framed and called for a CBI probe. But police cite several pieces of evidence—blood-stained clothing, a broken mobile screen, and a post-murder message from Raja's account reading 'Saat janmon ka saath' (Together for seven lifetimes)—that pointed to her.
Despite the confessions, the accused's families maintain their children are innocent. Raj Kushwaha's mother, Chunni Devi, told PTI, 'My son is innocent. He has been framed. How can a 20-year-old boy commit such a big crime? He is the only breadwinner after my husband passed away.'
She added, 'He was crying inconsolably when he returned home. I tried to calm him down, saying everything will be fine and there is no use crying.'
Raj's sister, Suhani, rejected the allegation of a romantic link with Sonam, stating, 'My brother and Sonam only shared the employee-employer relationship. He addresses Sonam as 'didi', while she calls him 'bhaiya'.'
Sonam's father has also accused the
Meghalaya Police
of 'spinning stories' and has demanded a central investigation.
The trail of clues
Police uncovered several physical clues at the crime scene. Among them: a blood-stained raincoat belonging to Sonam, which she allegedly handed over to Akash. Akash later discarded it near the gorge. They also recovered a broken mobile screen and a jacket linked to Akash in Uttar Pradesh's Bina district.
At the time of his arrest, Anand was reportedly still wearing the same clothes he had on during the murder. Meghalaya Police sent a 20-member team to Madhya Pradesh to apprehend the remaining accused.
While much has been pieced together, gaps still remain. It's not yet confirmed whether Sonam stayed back in Meghalaya after the murder or returned immediately to Indore.
Police continue to examine phone records and travel timelines. Meanwhile, public interest in the case continues to grow, fuelled by new revelations and the dramatic unfolding of a crime that began with a honeymoon.
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