
Visual story: How Meghalaya honeymoon murder unfolded
The murder of Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi during his honeymoon in Meghalaya has captivated and shocked the nation. The alleged involvement of his newly-wed wife in the murder has sent shivers down the spine of many and raised many questions about Indian society's equation with love affairs, arranged marriages and intimate relations.With each passing day, new information related to the case comes into the public eye, and sometimes it contradicts what was previously known about the chilling case.advertisementTo present a clear picture of the sequence of events, India Today has compiled a visual story based on the statements of the police, eyewitnesses, and family members, as well as ground reporting. Images used in this story have been created by ChatGPT's o4-mini LLM model.
This is how it all started.
They looked happy. In photos.
Although married, Sonam was still attached to her lover, Raj.
With hope in his eyes, Raja embarks on a romantic journey. Little did he know Sonam had additional plans.
Hitmen kill Raja – countless dreams of his family.
Post-murder cover plan is set in motion.
Mission accomplished!
Authorities launch search operation to locate the tourist couple.
But Sonam's fate and whereabouts are still unknown.
Police notice machete's different design, suspect conspiracy.
She doesn't visit her home or in-laws.
She looks traumatized, doesn't resist arrest.
Many questions remain.
Pyaar, shadi, aur dhokha
Both are 21 years old while another is 22.
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NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
"Sonam Raghuvanshi Used Burqa To Escape, Was In Indore When Raja's Body Was Found": Cop
All five accused in the Raja Raghuvanshi honeymoon killing - wife Sonam Raghuvanshi, her lover Kushwaha and three alleged hitmen Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan and Anand Kurmi - have admitted to their crime, said the police on Friday. The Meghalaya Police would take all five accused in the case to the crime spot at Sohra-Cherrapunji areas of the East Khasi Hills district next week for reconstruction of the crime, officials said. The newly-wed couple - Sonam and Raja Raghuvanshi - from Madhya Pradesh's Indore went missing from a village near Sohra (Cherrapunji) in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district on May 23, two days after they landed in the northeastern state on their honeymoon. They were married on May 11. The man's body was retrieved from a 200-foot deep gorge on June 2. Wife Sonam, said police, surrendered at a police station in Uttar Pradesh in the early hours of Monday. "The murder was planned right before Raja Raghuvanshi and Sonam's wedding. Raj Kushwaha is the mastermind behind this and Sonam is his partner in crime. The three killers were Raj's friends, and one among them is his cousin," Superintendent of Police, East Khasi Hills, Syiem Vivek, who is overseeing the investigation, told NDTV. "Since February this year, the planning was going on about how to make Sonam disappear. Two ideas were under consideration to make her disappear: first, Sonam should be shown jumping into the river; second, someone should be murdered and the body should be burnt presented as Sonam's. But the accused could not implement these plans. The plan to murder Raja was made 11 days before his marriage," said the officer. Sonam Raghuvanshi, 24, was in love with Raj Kushwaha, 21, and had warned her family of "consequences" if she was pressured to marry Raja Raghuvanshi, police sources said. As per the preliminary autopsy report, Raja Raghuvanshi, 29, was hit twice, once each on the back and front of his head. "This is not a contract killing, however, an investigation regarding the same is underway. Raj had paid the three hitmen Rs 50,000 each," said the police officer. Raja Raghuvanshi was told by his wife Sonam that she would let him consummate the marriage only after making an offering at the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, investigators had said on Wednesday. "When Sonam and Raja reached Guwahati to visit Kamakhya after marriage, the killers had already reached Guwahati on 19 May. Their initial plan was to kill Raja in Guwahati itself. But Sonam had planned to go to Shillong and Sohra. Therefore, this plan was shelved," said the officer. "After that, they reached Nongriat. Thereafter, all of them attacked Raja and killed him and hid his body. They left soon after," said the officer. After this, the officer said, Sonam wore a burqa offered by one of the hitmen and reached Guwahati in a taxi. "Then from Guwahati she took a bus and went to Siliguri, from Siliguri she went to Patna, from Patna she took a bus to Ara, from Ara she took a train to Lucknow, from Lucknow she took a bus to Indore," said the officer, detailing her movements after the murder. "After the three hitmen were arrested, Sonam was told by Raj to leave Indore and tell her family that she was kidnapped," said the officer. The day Raja's body was found, on June 2, Sonam was in Indore, said the officer. Sonam was in Indore from June 25 to 8, the officer said. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Meghalaya police is probing the sensational murder.


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
'Let us also not forget ... Osama bin Laden': MEA rebuts US general's endorsement of Pakistan, cites Pahalgam attack
NEW DELHI: India has strongly rebutted the United States' characterisation of Pakistan as a counter-terrorism partner, with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) calling out Islamabad's long-standing complicity in nurturing cross-border terrorism. Citing the recent Pahalgam attack as a stark reminder, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal underscored Pakistan's record of harbouring terrorists and facilitating violence on Indian soil. At the weekly media briefing on Thursday, Jaiswal said, 'Pakistan's track record on terrorism is well known. The recent Pahalgam terror attack is only the latest example of cross-border terrorism that India has repeatedly suffered from.' He pointed to the extradition of 26/11 co-conspirator Tahawwur Rana from the United States to India as a sign that justice is finally catching up. 'Let us also not forget that Pakistan gave refuge to Osama bin Laden. The person who helped locate him, Dr Shakil Afridi, remains jailed by the Pakistani military,' he added. Jaiswal's remarks come in response to US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief general Michael Kurilla's statement before the House Armed Services Committee, where he described Pakistan as a 'phenomenal partner in the world of counter-terrorism.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký The general noted that Islamabad had apprehended several 'high-value' IS-K operatives recently. Earlier, external affairs minister S Jaishankar in Brussels also addressed the issue, clarifying that India's actions are not part of a bilateral conflict with Pakistan, but a response to the global threat of terrorism. 'This is not a clash between two states,' Jaishankar said during a joint press conference with EU's High Representative Kaja Kallas. 'This is India responding to terrorism. Don't frame it as India versus Pakistan — think of it as India versus Terroristan.' He reaffirmed India's zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism and emphasized the need for international unity on the issue. 'There must be zero tolerance for terrorism in all its forms. And we must never yield to nuclear blackmail. Terrorism is a shared global challenge and calls for strong, coordinated international action.'


Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
'Uber?' Indian-origin man in Australia claims he countered McDonald's staff after he was mistaken as delivery driver
Praveen Param, an Indian-origin Melbourne man, shared his experience of facing 'everyday racism' in Australia as he went to take food at a McDonald's. Praveen said as soon as he entered, the gentleman behind the counter asked him whether he was from Uber Eats. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Praveen said he told the staff that he came to place an order and received his meal. In his TikTok video, Praveen said he felt like asking the staff why he thought he was an Uber driver. "I said to him, 'just because a lot of people from my ethnic background may do Uber, it doesn't mean everyone does Uber - assuming that only makes you look like an a**hole,"' Praveen Param said. "This white man then obviously decides to double down on his racism and says, 'oh nah I didn't mean it like that, it's just that the people who come into this Maccas who are Indian often end up being Uber drivers'," Praveen said what the staff told him. 'This is the reality of being a South East Asian person living in Australia,' he said. "No matter what your achievements are, how you treat people, how you dress, [or] how you conduct yourself you will always be reduced to some stereotype by some white person out there." "Australians - do better. People here think that they're open-minded, when the reality is they are not." The reaction to his experience was varied, including some asking him to leave Australia. Some pointed out that there should not be any problem to be mistaken for an Uber driver. "Nothing wrong with the assumption. The Uber guy is just doing a job just like you have a job. Nothing bad at all to be assumed you do Uber. Sorry mate. It should not bother you if you respected others doing Uber," one wrote. "I'm half Sri Lankan. I've been stereotyped like that before. Instead of playing the victim I had a laugh with the worker and told them not to worry about it. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now It's not that deep. They're not doing it out of malice," one wrote. DailyMail reported that McDonald's issued a statement apologizing for the incident. "At McDonald's, we are committed to giving our customers a great experience every time they visit our restaurants," a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia. "Our doors are open to everyone, and we strive to ensure our restaurants are safe, inclusive, and respectful workplaces for our customers and crew."