Op Honeymoon Details: How Sonam Escaped After Husband's Murder, Reached UP
The murder of Raja Raghuvanshi allegedly by his wife Sonam and her boyfriend Raj Kushwaha during their honeymoon in Meghalaya remains one of the country's most intriguing murder mysteries. NDTV has now accessed exclusive details about Operation Honeymoon that Meghalaya police undertook to track Sonam and her alleged associates.
Raja and Sonam were last seen checking out of Shipara Homestay in Meghalaya's Nongriat village on May 23. His body was found in a gorge on June 2. Sonam surfaced a week later in Uttar Pradesh to face charges that she and her boyfriend had hired three hitmen - Akash, Anand, and Vikash - to kill Raja.
Sources in the police team that cracked the case have revealed the chain of events that seek to establish Sonam's whereabouts after the murder, as the cops try to establish the prime suspect's modus operandi.
How Sonam Escaped
Sonam and Raj had made the murder plan just a few days after her May 11 wedding with Raja. Nine days later, on May 20, they left for Meghalaya for their honeymoon. A day later, they were in the state capital Shillong.
The hitmen arrived in Guwahati on May 21. From there, they reached Shillong on May 22, following Sonam and Raja. The murder apparently occurred on May 23, the day the couple went untraceable.
Sonam was seen about 10 kilometres away from the crime location, and the murder occurred before her, sources said. It was Sonam who had directed the hitmen to kill Raja, the three accused have claimed.
After the murder, all four accused assembled 11 kilometers away from the crime scene (Raj did not travel to Meghalaya). Sonam then reached Guwahati from where she left for her hometown by train. She arrived in Indore on May 25 and met Raj, who had arranged a room on rent for her to stay. Raj, meanwhile, stayed in another hotel nearby.
They later arranged a car that took her to Uttar Pradesh, said sources.
Sonam surrendered in Ghazipur late at night on June 8, with police claiming that she was found in a distraught state and with a fever.
Operation Honeymoon
Meghalaya cops began Operation Honeymoon and formed a 20-member core team among the 120 personnel investigating the case. They carried out raids at the suspects' locations on June 7 and checked the profiles of the three suspected killers who were seen with Sonam.
The accused were seen in about 42 footage from the area in Indore where they were staying.
During their investigation, the police found that the couple had bought a machete from a shop outside their hotel in Guwahati. It is likely the same weapon that was used to kill Raja and was found near his body.
What appeared odd in the investigation was that the couple did not take any photos together. No photos were shared on social media. This is where the cops suspected something was amiss, said sources.
At 2:15 pm on May 23, Sonam allegedly used Raja's social media account to post that their union was for seven lives. Sonam was already among the suspects since Raja's body was found, but the dramatic post convinced the cops that her behaviour wasn't normal.
The cops had also found Akash's shirt soaked in blood at the crime scene. Sonam had given him her raincoat that was found 6 km away from there, sources said, claiming this was part of her plan to mislead the police.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
13 hours ago
- NDTV
After Ruckus At 'Bengal Files' Trailer Launch, Cops Say Vivek Agnihotri Didn't Take Permission
Kolkata: Kolkata Police sources have told NDTV that filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri had not sought any administrative permission for public view of the trailer of The Bengal Files in Kolkata. The attempt to screen the trailer without permission violated Section 3 of the West Bengal Cinemas (Regulation) Act, 1954 which governs the exhibition of cinema in the state, a senior police officer in Kolkata told NDTV. "If he has taken required permission, he should at least show the media the documents," the officer said. The response came after the Bollywood filmmaker claimed his trailer launch of 'The Bengal Files' at a five-star hotel in Kolkata was stopped on Saturday. Visuals of policemen entering the venue had gone viral on social media. On Friday, Mr Agnihotri was seen at Kalighat Temple offering prayers alongside Tushar Kanti Ghosh, the BJP's media incharge in Bengal. "It has happened in front of you, camera captured, the trailer launch of a CBFC-approved movie was stopped, this is an anarchy, dictatorship... Police had come so that we could not show the movie, the police are being used in Bengal because of some people's political ambitions," Mr Agnihotri told reporters. "The film talks about demography change, and they don't want to show it because the state itself empowers demography change. I cannot be silenced," he said. The ruling Trinamool Congress's spokesperson said Mr Agnihotri's allegation is baseless. "What the videomaker has said is totally baseless. If he has guts, first make 'Gujarat Files' on the Godhra riots, then go to Manipur, make 'Manipur Files'. Go to UP - Unnao, Hathras, Prayagraj, and make 'UP Files'. He is planted by a political force," Trinamool leader Kunal Ghosh said. "He made 'Kashmir Files' and now he is blaming West Bengal, distorting facts, and maligning West Bengal. He is doing his job assigned by the BJP," Mr Ghosh added. An ITC Royal Bengal spokesperson said it extended full cooperation and all relevant information has been shared with the authorities who are investigating the matter. 'The Bengal Files' says it depicts the 1946 Great Calcutta Killings - also known as Direct Action Day - and how communal violence in the state shaped India's path to Partition and Independence. The film stars Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, Mithun Chakraborty, and Saswata Chatterjee, among others. The film is set to release on September 5 and is part of Mr Agnihotri's Files trilogy.
India.com
13 hours ago
- India.com
Man Posing As Cop, Claiming To Be Raja Raghuvanshis Friend, Arrested
Police have arrested a man for allegedly posing as Raja Raghuvanshi's friend and visiting his home in Indore while impersonating a railway police officer, according to a report. The accused, identified as Bajrang Lal, a resident of Rajasthan, visited Raghuvanshi's house on Thursday. He introduced himself as a police station in-charge from Delhi and claimed to be a close friend of Raja, as per the HT report. Raja Raghuvanshi was reportedly killed in May during his honeymoon in Meghalaya, with investigators alleging that his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, hired contract killers to carry out the murder. At the time of the incident, Lal was dressed in a uniform with three stars, an RPF badge, and ordinary red shoes. His appearance and behavior raised doubts, prompting Raja's mother, Uma Raghuvanshi, to inform her other son, Sachin. When questioned, the accused repeatedly changed his statements and even attempted to leave, as per the HT report. Lal claimed he had met Raja at Ujjain's Mahakal temple in 2021, but the family refuted this, saying Raja had not traveled during the COVID pandemic. Officials believe Lal's intention was to dupe the family. According to an Indian Express report, the Police said that preliminary inquiries indicate that the accused has a pattern of impersonating police officers. Investigators suspect he had studied details of the murder case in advance and was attempting to dupe the family. The accused has now been arrested, and authorities are examining his past criminal record. Meghalaya Honeymoon Murder Raja Raghuvanshi, who married Sonam on May 11, went missing on May 23 during their honeymoon in Meghalaya. The murder was allegedly orchestrated by his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, who was reportedly in a relationship with Raj Kushwaha. Investigators allege that she conspired to eliminate Raja even before their marriage. As part of the plan, three men were hired to execute the crime. After a few unsuccessful attempts, the attackers finally killed Raja on May 23. His mutilated body was found in a deep gorge in the Sohra area of Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district on June 2. ALSO READ: Aamir Khan Hoists Indian Flag At IFFM 2025, Honoured With Excellence In Cinema Award
Hindustan Times
14 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Fake cop posing as Raja Raghuvanshi's friend visits his Indore home. His plan nearly worked
The family of Meghalaya honeymoon murder victim Raja Raghuvanshi is in the spotlight again after Indore police arrested a man posing as a railway police officer and visiting their home. Sonam Raghuvanshi, accused of murdering her husband Raja Raghuvanshi during their honeymoon in Meghalaya.(X) Raja Raghuvanshi was allegedly murdered by hitmen hired by his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, during the couple's honeymoon in Meghalaya in May. The man claimed to be a Station House Officer posted in Delhi who was a friend of Raja. He told the family that he had met Raja at Ujjain's Mahakal temple in 2021 and had come to give his condolences. But there was just one problem in his story. Raja had not travelled to Ujjain, or anywhere else, in 2021 during the COVID pandemic. The incident happened on Thursday, and Raja Raghuvanshi's mother, Uma Raghuvanshi, alerted his brother, Sachin. When probed, the accused kept changing his story and even wanted to go away. But he soon found himself in a real police station. The man has been identified as Bajrang Lal, a resident of Rajasthan. The cops also seized his elaborate costume of three-star insignia, RPF badge, and regulation red shoes. Why did the accused pose as Raja Raghuvanshi's friend to meet the family? According to Indore police, the man had come to Raja Raghuvanshi's house after mining social media coverage of the murder to craft his backstory. His motive? Cops suspect it was to dupe the family. 'This is not his first time impersonating a police officer. We are looking into his previous criminal record. He had researched the murder case and tried to dupe the family. He has been arrested and booked,' a police official quoted in the Indian Express report said. According to Raja's brother Sachin's statement to the police, he and other relatives rushed to their home and found Lal, who claimed that he was 'Raja's friend' and was 'currently posted in Delhi, but previously stationed in Ujjain two years ago'. His story seemed plausible, but just one detail saved the family from potentially being duped.
