Was Sonam Raghuvanshi's sudden request to visit Kamakhya Temple a setup? How live location to lover helped killers track Raja
A newlywed honeymoon in the Northeast took a shocking turn when a woman named Sonam allegedly plotted her husband Raja Raghuvanshi's murder, just days after their wedding. According to investigators, she stayed in contact with her alleged boyfriend, Raj Kushwaha, the entire time, even sharing her live location during the trip.
Police claim Sonam worked with Raj and three others, all young men with no criminal history, to track and kill her husband in Meghalaya's Sohra region. One major clue was Sonam's sudden request to visit the Kamakhya temple in Assam, which helped the killers close in on their location.
Raja, a 28-year-old transporter from Indore, was found dead in a deep gorge on June 2, less than 11 days after his wedding. His wife was found alone and disoriented at a highway dhaba in Uttar Pradesh nearly 1,200 km from the crime scene. She reportedly called her brother using the eatery owner's phone, triggering a police alert.
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Sonam, 24, allegedly planned the murder with Raj Kushwaha, 21, who worked in her father's business. The other accused are Akash Rajput (21), Vishal Singh Chauhan (22), and Anand Kurmi (23). All are now in custody.
'She looked terrified and wasn't even speaking properly,' said a woman who met her at the dhaba. Sonam later surrendered to UP Police and is being taken to Shillong for further questioning.
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Meghalaya DGP I Nongrang confirmed the arrests, while CM Conrad Sangma praised police for solving the case in a week. Officials believe the motive was a love affair turned deadly.
Raja's mother Uma Raghuvanshi is shattered. 'He told me Sonam hardly spoke to him. I didn't know she was hiding something so dark,' she said. The family said Sonam stayed with them for four days after marriage, before going to her parents' house. Then suddenly, Raja informed them she had planned a temple trip.
'He bought clothes and packed for the trip. She made him wear his best jewellery, a chain, a ring, a watch, and left as a bride,' Uma said. 'And now she stands accused of killing him.'
The heartbroken mother added, 'If she didn't want to marry him, she could have left. Why murder him? He loved her truly. We treated her like our own daughter.'
The family is demanding the harshest punishment. 'If proven guilty, she and the others must be hanged. She didn't just kill our son, she broke our trust, and the meaning of family,' Uma said, her voice heavy with pain.
Inputs from TOI
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