'She was always smiling, deeply religious': Neighbours of Meghalaya murder case accused Sonam Raghuvanshi
INDORE: Silence hangs like a shroud on the narrow lanes of Kushwaha Nagar in Indore's Banganga area. This is where Sonam Raghuvanshi grew up as the girl next door — until a horrific crime propelled her into national infamy.
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On Monday, outside the modest two-storey house that is Sonam's home, women gathered, murmuring, whispering, and glancing repeatedly at their phones. Every time a new update about the Raja-Sonam tragedy flashed across screens, gasps rippled through the group.
The neighbourhood is trying to come to terms with the unthinkable — that Sonam, the soft-spoken, god-fearing girl they knew since childhood, could be the mastermind behind her husband Raja Raghuvanshi's brutal murder during their honeymoon in Shillong.
'We're still in shock,' said Reena Kushwaha, 35, sitting outside her shop. 'She was always smiling, respectful, and deeply involved in religious practices. Who would have imagined she could be part of something like this?'
In this middle-class locality, Sonam was not just another face in the crowd. She had grown up here—celebrated festivals with everyone, led Dandiya sessions during Navratri, fasted on religious days, and prayed daily at the small temple her family had built at her request. 'She used to sit there every morning, offering flowers, lighting incense,' said one of the elderly neighbours, eyes filled with disbelief.
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Time of India
21 minutes ago
- Time of India
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. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like New Container Houses Indonesia (Prices May Surprise You) Container House | Search ads Search Now Undo 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. Live Events 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
India Today
30 minutes ago
- India Today
Racist hate after Meghalaya honeymoon murder: Northeast people demand apology
The jumping to conclusions had abominable racist rhetoric in this case. While police in Meghalaya were still investigating the murder of a man on his honeymoon and searching for his missing wife, some people had pronounced the people of the Northeast guilty. Without a shred of evidence, and defying logic, they used crass and uncivilised language for the Northeast of India and its people, who, on a regular basis, face racial discrimination. The dehumanising of the tribal people and the Northeasterners in general in a heinous murder case was a new low. After it became clear that it was the wife who had plotted the murder and carried it out with some hitmen, people from the Northeast are hitting back at the hatemongers, and seeking an cycle of racial toxicity started after the body of Raja Raghuvanshi, a man from Indore, was discovered in a gorge in the Cherrapunji area of Meghalaya and his wife, Sonam, went missing on June 2. The honeymooning couple, who reached the Northeast state on May 20, were last seen together on May the murder, many people made racial remarks against the tribes in Meghalaya and also the entire Northeast. They said travelling to Meghalaya was unsafe. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said his government and the police would pursue the case as the state had been "defamed"."We will do whatever it takes. Our government and state have been defamed (even though) none of the accused are from Meghalaya," he said, according to an NDTV Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisations (CoMSO), a prominent Shillong-based civil society group, has demanded a public apology from Sonam Raghuvanshi's family. Its chairman, Roy Kupar Synrem, criticised the family for making unfounded claims against the Meghalaya government and police, saying their remarks unfairly targeted and discredited local statements went beyond grief and bordered on deliberate misinformation. Now that the truth is emerging, they must apologise — not just to the government and police, but to every citizen of Meghalaya who was unfairly maligned," Synrem and Sonam were last seen checking out of their homestay on May 23. They got married on May 16 days of mystery, Sonam was arrested in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur on June 9 (Monday).The primary investigation revealed it to be an alleged case of contract killing, as the woman was having an affair with a man who was also among those REMARKS AFTER INDORE MAN'S HONEYMOON MURDERAs the case unfolded, many on social media blamed Meghalaya and the northeast for the death of posts below are being cited to just give a sample of the hatred and racial bigotry. There are some which are far worse."NE is full of ooga booga jungalees, never visit there. Normies who fall for sweet NE propaganda end up getting f$@#*d like this. Only exception is Arunachal and Sikkim," wrote one person."That's why Northeast also faces discrimination in other parts of India. Many gangs are active in the northeast state who kill people for money," wrote another person on X, revealing how the racist mindset normalises racial went to the extreme of suggesting that the people of the region should be "eliminated"."Northeast tribals are savages, only eliminating is the solution," said another others made racist remarks and went so far as to call northeastern people "savages, cannibal and human traffickers".After Sonam's arrest, as it became clear that no one from the Northeast had anything to do with the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi, the people of the region are seeking an apology for the racist remarks against RAGHUVANSHI CASE: PEOPLE FROM NORTHEAST SEEK APOLOGY"Indore Couple Case: Just a few days back, many defamed, demeaned Northeast & Meghalaya specifically after the couple went missing. Later the husband's body was found," shared a person from Northeast on listed how the state, which is a tourist destination because of the living root bridges, the colonial charm of Shillong, and the scenic beauty of places like Cherrapunji and Mawsynram, had been defamed for being unsafe and for "tantric magic". They demanded an apology."Unsafe, Tantric Magic, Locals being dangerous, and what not? All such commentators today must apologise. This not only hampered the Northeast's image but also the tourism economy as a whole. Sonam (wife) hired three assailants to kill her husband during their honeymoon in Meghalaya's Sohra."advertisementOthers said it wasn't just Meghalaya, but other Northeast states were also villified."Not just Meghalaya, entire NE tribals were dragged in. They were calling us savages, cannibals, human traffickers and what not. Disgusting people!" shared a person on people called out knee-jerk reactions in such cases, cautioning how an entire region was at the receiving end of a hate campaign."A few days ago, many blamed the Northeast for a honeymoon tragedy in Meghalaya, calling it unsafe, even 'tantric.' Today, it turns out the wife has been arrested for her husband's murder. Let's not vilify an entire region before knowing the truth.""Everyone who blamed Meghalaya and Northeast India without knowing the truth, defamed the state, affected tourism, spread hate, owes a written apology," wrote another the government is trying to bring the Northeast region closer, and tourists are travelling there in hordes to warm hospitality, some hatemongers end up defaming an entire state and region without even waiting for any evidence. This reveals that there is a change in mindset when it comes to the Northeast region of India. A very good beginning would be to incorporate more information on the region in the school Watch
India Today
31 minutes ago
- India Today
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