Honeymoon horror: How ‘killer bride' Sonam Raghuvanshi fled from Meghalaya after husband's murder
How 'killer bride' Sonam Raghuvanshi escaped Meghalaya after husband's murder
NEW DELHI: Madhya Pradesh police on Tuesday revealed that Sonam Raghuvanshi, who allegedly orchestrated the murder of her husband Raja Raghuvanshi during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, had travelled over 2,000 km back to Indore before resurfacing a fortnight later at a dhaba in Uttar Pradesh.
Sonam, who vanished on May 23 near Wei Sawdong Falls in East Khasi Hills, reappeared gaunt and silent in Ghazipur on June 9, a week after Raja's body was found in a gorge near the falls parking lot on June 2. While she had claimed abduction and drugging, Indore police rejected the claim outright.
'We have information that Sonam reached Indore between May 25 and May 27 by train and stayed in a rented room in Dewas Gate,' said additional DCP (crime branch) Rajesh Dandotiya.
'Raj Kushwaha, her co-accused, met her there. He later arranged a taxi to UP.'
Police believe Sonam left Shillong soon after the crime, taking an intentionally convoluted route through Siliguri, travelling to Guwahati and then boarding a train to Patna. From there, she appears to have taken an indirect route to Indore, dodging flight bookings and digital footprints to confuse investigators. A senior UP police official confirmed, 'We have CCTV footage of her getting off a Guwahati-Patna train.
The route was chosen to misguide investigators.'
CCTV and surveillance data, along with behavioural analysis from 42 video clips, showed Sonam meeting with contract killers around 10 km from the crime scene. Police also discovered a crucial clue, a raincoat provided by Sonam to one of the accused, Akash Rajput, and a matching jacket worn by another suspect. A mobile screen from Raja's phone was also recovered.
Investigators found a machete used in the murder, reportedly bought near Guwahati railway station, not resembling local weapons in Meghalaya, suggesting premeditation.
One suspect, Anand Kurmi, was wearing the same attire from the day of the murder when arrested.
After returning to Indore, Sonam plotted her next move in a rented room and was later sent to Ghazipur via Varanasi, aided by a hired driver. Police have not yet disclosed why she was sent to Uttar Pradesh.
Sonam remained untraceable from May 23 until her surrender in Ghazipur on June 9. Her reappearance deepened the mystery, but coordinated efforts by Shillong Police and Indore Crime Branch led to five arrests across Madhya Pradesh.
Operation Honeymoon, the unofficial codename for the investigation, was launched by Meghalaya Police on June 7, culminating in major breakthroughs by June 8. Police sources revealed that within four days, Sonam's direct involvement was confirmed.
Sonam Raghuvanshi was brought to Shillong on Tuesday night and will be produced before a local court on Wednesday.
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