Latest news with #Gyaras'
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
From wedding vows to machete blows: Inside the chilling Meghalaya honeymoon murder - Plot revealed in 10 pictures
Sonam Raghuvanshi, once a young woman with aspirations of earning an MBA, now finds herself at the heart of a gruesome murder investigation that has shocked the nation. After completing her graduation, her academic dreams were quietly pushed aside under family pressure, which steered her into helping with the family's plywood business in Madhya Pradesh. It was there that she met Raj Kushwaha, an employee who would soon become central to one of the most chilling honeymoon murder cases in recent memory. Just days after marrying Raja Raghuvanshi in what appeared to be a traditional union, Sonam allegedly conspired with Raj to have her husband killed during their honeymoon in Meghalaya. Police claim Raj stayed behind while coordinating the murder, carried out by three men he recruited. As Raja was brutally attacked with a machete in a remote forest, Sonam stood by, reportedly watching in silence. From a false robbery narrative to an attempted cover-up, the case has unraveled into a horrifying tale of deception, betrayal, and premeditated murder, leaving both families and investigators stunned. Shattered dreams Sonam Raghuvanshi, who is now at the center of a shocking honeymoon murder case, once aspired to pursue an MBA after completing her graduation. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Scam Exposed: What They Won't Tell You about zero trust! Expertinspector Click Here Undo Her academic ambitions, however, were put on hold under family pressure. Family expectations Sonam's family discouraged her from seeking employment outside the home, urging her instead to assist her brother Govind in running the family's plywood business in Madhya Pradesh. A fatal meeting While working at the family business, Sonam met Raj Kushwaha, who managed billing and accounts. This acquaintance would later become central to a sinister plot. The doomed marriage Raja and Sonam Raghuvanshi tied the knot on May 11 and left for their honeymoon in Meghalaya on May 20. Just three days into the trip, on May 23, the couple went missing. CCTV footage from their Shillong homestay showed them wearing black jackets and carrying a white suitcase. Raj, described as calm and composed, is now accused of orchestrating the murder of Sonam's husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, just days after their wedding. A suspicious trip During the couple's honeymoon in Meghalaya, Raja's brother Vipin grew suspicious after overhearing frequent phone calls between Govind and Raj. At the time, nothing seemed amiss. A phone conversation between Sonam Raghuvanshi and her mother-in-law on the day Raja Raghuvanshi was murdered has emerged as a chilling focal point in the police investigation. Sonam told her mother-in-law, Uma Raghuvanshi, that she would not break her 'Gyaras' fast just because they were away. When asked where Raja was, she replied, "Raja is walking ahead... his phone is in the bag, I'll get him to call you later." Coordinated killing Police claim Raj directed the murder remotely, instructing three childhood friends—Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan, and Anand Kurmi—to carry out the killing while he remained behind. Trust betrayed Raj had long been seen as part of the Raghuvanshi family's inner circle—sharing meals and business ties. His alleged betrayal has left the family deeply shocked and devastated. Police allege Sonam and her lover, Raj Kushwaha, planned the murder days before the trip, hiring three men—Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan, and Anand Kurmi—to execute the crime on the honeymoon in Meghalaya. The murder The assailants allegedly shadowed Raja and Sonam, using a rental car after arriving in Shillong on May 21. Sonam reportedly shared their live location with Raj, who stayed and coordinated remotely. In a forested area, the attackers tried to push Raja off a steep cliff. When that failed, they brutalized him with a machete (dao) carried for the purpose Witnesses and forensic evidence confirm Raja was struck multiple times with a machete—his autopsy showed at least two sharp wounds to the head—until he succumbed to the attack. Unfolding horror What was believed to be a traditional and respectful marriage quickly unraveled into a story of deception, manipulation, and murder—leaving a community stunned and a family in grief. According to police, Sonam watched the entire murder "coldly" without intervening. The coverup Investigators recovered the bloodstained machete near the gorge, a raincoat tied to Sonam's belongings, and Raja's missing jewellery—elements pointing toward a premeditated murder disguised as robbery. Sonam fled the scene soon after, resurfacing days later in Indore and UP. CCTV, phone records, and her travel route all suggest a planned escape—not a victimized bride. Sonam initially claimed unknown thieves attacked Raja during a robbery. but investigators countered this narrative using evidence like recovered valuables and her suspicious behavior. Sonam, Raj, and the three hired men have been arrested and charged. Authorities are probing deeper into the conspiracy—examining Sonam's role, motives, and whether the motive included Sonam's desire to leave Raja and be with Raj.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
‘Won't break my Gyaras fast': Chilling last call haunts cops as Sonam leads Raja's Raghuvanshi to his death; here's what happened
INDORE: Cops are trying to demystify the timing of the phone call between Sonam and her mother-in-law Uma on the day of Raja Raghuvanshi's murder. They are trying to ascertain the chilling reality whether Raja was already dead when the call happened, or worse, was he being led to his death while Sonam calmly spoke to his family? The call was placed when the couple was on their way up after visiting double decker bridge in Nongrait village of Shillong, and Sonam told her mother that she would not break her 'Gyaras' fast just because they were away. "That one call haunts us," said a senior officer. "We now know from interrogations that the murder happened shortly after that phone conversation." ACP Poonamchand Yadav of the crime branch confirmed to TOI that the sequence of events shared by the accused places the murder soon after that call. Sonam was carrying a mobile phone at the time. When Raja's mother Uma called and asked to speak to her son, Sonam replied sweetly, "Raja is walking ahead... his phone is in the bag, I'll get him to call you later." She was panting and so the mother-in-law disconnected the call. "That was the last time we ever tried to talk to her," Uma said, her voice trembling. "I could never have imagined that the daughter-in-law, speaking so gently on the phone, was actually scouting for a spot to kill my son - perhaps even moments away from doing it." Police are now analyzing call duration, location data, and voice tone in what they describe as a "cold-blooded calm before the kill."
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Meghalaya murder: Sonam's call to saas on day of Raja death under cops' scanner
INDORE: A phone call between Sonam Raghuvanshi (in pic) and her mother-in-law on the day of Raja Raghuvanshi's murder has become a chilling focus of the police investigation - was Raja already dead by then, or worse, was he being led to his death while Sonam calmly spoke to his family?. ACP Poonamchand Yadav told TOI that the sequence of events shared by the accused times the murder soon after that call. "That one call haunts us," he said. "We now know from interrogations that the murder happened shortly after that phone conversation." The call was placed when the couple was reported to be on their way up after visiting a double-decker bridge in Shillong's Nongrait village. Sonam told her mother-in-law, Uma Raghuvanshi, that she would not break her 'Gyaras' fast just because they were away. When Uma called and asked her to connect with her son, Sonam replied sweetly, "Raja is walking ahead... his phone is in the bag, I'll get him to call you later." She was panting and so Uma disconnected the call. "That was the last time we ever tried to talk to her," Uma said, her voice trembling. "I could never have imagined that the daughter-in-law, speaking so gently on the phone, was actually scouting for a spot to kill my son - perhaps even moments away from doing it." Police are now analyzing call duration, location, and voice tone in what they describe as a "cold-blooded calm before the kill."
