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Meghalaya honeymoon murder: Sonam sent her location to Raj Kushwaha during northeast trip, killers trailed couple after Kamakhya temple visit
BHOPAL: Investigators probing the chilling honeymoon murder case revealed that Sonam, who vanished during a trip to the northeast with her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, had been in constant touch with her alleged lover, Raj Kushwaha, throughout the journey.
According to police, Sonam regularly shared her live location with Raj, who remained in Madhya Pradesh while coordinating with three hired killers to track the couple. The chilling conspiracy was set in motion just days after the wedding, with the group tailing the newlyweds through their northeast itinerary.
One of the turning points came when Sonam insisted on a sudden pilgrimage to the Kamakhya temple in Assam, which investigators now believe was a tactic to aid the killers in narrowing down the couple's movements.
Sonam, reported missing for over two weeks, was finally located at a highway dhaba in Uttar Pradesh on early Monday, disoriented and alone, nearly 1,200km from the crime scene where her husband's body was found on June 2.
Police alleged Sonam, 24, orchestrated the 28-year-old Indore transporter's killing with help from four men with no previous criminal record, one of whom was her boyfriend — Raj Kushwaha, 21, a man employed in her father's business.
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Apart from Raj, the arrested suspects are Akash Rajput, 21, who was caught in Lalitpur (UP), Vishal Singh Chauhan, 22, in Indore, and Anand Kurmi, 23, who was nabbed in MPs Bina.
Around 2am on Monday, Sonam was picked up from Kashi Dhaba on VaranasiGhazipur highway after she called her brother from the eatery owner's phone. That triggered a multi-state alert — all her contacts were under surveillance. Indore police coordinated with UP cops to track and secure her before dawn under Nandganj police station limits.
She surrendered without resistance.
'She was extremely scared and barely able to speak,' a woman who tried to comfort her told police. Dhaba owner Sahil Yadav's statement has been recorded.
UP ADG (law & order) Amitabh Yash said: 'Sonam will be transferred as the case is being led by Meghalaya.' A Ghazipur magistrate granted three-day transit remand for questioning her in Shillong.
Meghalaya DGP I Nongrang said Sonam surrendered.
'Three assailants were arrested in overnight raids and one more was caught Monday,' he said. CM Conrad Sangma posted on X: 'Within 7 days a major breakthrough has been achieved... 3 assailants from Madhya Pradesh have been arrested, a female has surrendered... well done #Meghalayapolice.' State tourism minister Paul Lyngdoh alleged the motive was romantic — 'a love triangle that led to a murderfor-hire'.
Raja once told me Sonam wasn't talking to him much.
He felt she wasn't interested in him. I asked her, and she said she was busy with work at the office. I told her Raja is shy and feels bad when someone ignores him, and asked her to talk to him more often. She spoke very sweetly with me. I had no idea what she was hiding,' said his mother Uma Raghuvanshi. Police say she plotted the murder with her lover, Raj Kushwaha, who worked in her father's business, as did she.
Raja, a 28-year-old transporter, married Sonam on May 11.
Less than 11 days later, he lay hacked to death in a deep gorge in Meghalaya's Sohra area. His family is struggling to comprehend the alleged betrayal that tore their world apart. The watch and jewellery are missing.
'If she was forced into the marriage, she could have simply left my son or eloped, why did she kill him?' she asked repeatedly, her voice heavy with disbelief. 'Raja had done nothing wrong. He loved her. We had accepted her with all our heart.
She became our daughter-in-law, part of our family… And this is what she did...'
Sonam stayed at the Raghuvanshi home for four days after their wedding before returning to her parental home for a ritual. Since it was the month of 'Jeth', it was decided she would return later.
'There was no plan for a trip,' the mother recalled. 'Then one day, Raja told me Sonam had booked tickets for Kamakhya Devi temple. He said they were leaving the next day.
We didn't suspect anything. Raja shopped for warm clothes and rainwear. She went shopping with him. Everything seemed normal.'
'Before leaving, she made him wear an expensive watch, ring, and chain. I told Raja to avoid wearing jewellery on a trip but I later saw pictures of him at the airport wearing the chain,' his mother said. 'She wore a diamond ring, a bracelet, and a mangalsutra. We had given her bangles, two gold sets — everything.
She left dressed as a newlywed bride from our home four days after the marriage… and was found as a murder accused.
'
What stings the most is the trust they placed in her.
'We met her through a community social media group,' she said. 'People who knew her family spoke well. We made all enquiries, followed every custom. Nothing seemed wrong.'
The family now insists justice must be swift — and unforgiving.
'If she is found guilty, she and all the accused should be hanged,' the mother said, flatly.
'Not just her, but anyone involved — no matter how big the gang, no matter who else is part of it. They all must be punished.'
'She didn't just kill our son,' Uma said. 'She's brought shame to all women. What she did has stained every daughter-in-law who wants to build a new life. She had everything — a good home, a loving husband. She saw our house, she knew we accepted her. Why did she do this?'
