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Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Meghalaya honeymoon horror mirrors Bengaluru's 2003 techie murder. Here's why it feels familiar
A young man's brutal murder during his honeymoon in Meghalaya has shocked the country, not just for its gruesome details, but also for how strikingly it mirrors one of Bengaluru's most chilling crimes from over two decades ago. Raja Raghuvanshi, who had recently tied the knot, was allegedly killed by his wife, Sonam, during what was supposed to be a celebratory trip to the Northeast. Days after his decomposing body was recovered from a gorge near a waterfall in Meghalaya's Sohra region, Sonam surrendered to the police in Uttar Pradesh. Investigators say the murder was premeditated and possibly carried out with the help of hired killers, a plot similar to Bengaluru's infamous 2003 'Ring Road Murder' case. (Also Read: Meghalaya murder: Who is Jitendra Raghuvanshi? New twist in Raja Raghuvanshi case unfolds) According to a report by NDTV, in 2003, Bengaluru was rocked by the murder of BV Girish, a 27-year-old software engineer engaged to law student Shubha Shankaranarayan. Girish was attacked near the HAL airport just three days after their engagement, after Shubha convinced him to take her to watch planes land and take off. Though she initially played the part of a grieving fiancée, Shubha's inconsistencies and call records eventually unraveled the truth, she was in a relationship with her college junior, Arun Verma, and had plotted Girish's murder with his help. It was one of the earliest Indian criminal cases to rely heavily on mobile location and call data as key evidence, the report further added. Both Shubha and Arun were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment, along with two accomplices. Raja and Sonam had travelled there for their honeymoon but went missing soon after. A massive search operation led to the discovery of Raja's body, and suspicion quickly turned towards Sonam. Police claim they were already tracking her involvement when she surrendered in Uttar Pradesh. According to investigators, Sonam is believed to have orchestrated the murder with the help of contract killers. While the motive is still being investigated, reports suggest she may have had an affair with a man named Raj Kushwaha, who has also been arrested along with other suspected conspirators. (With agency inputs) (Also Read: Why Sonam Raghuvanshi left her 'mangalsutra' at Meghalaya homestay before Raja Raghuvanshi's murder)
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Meghalaya honeymoon horror: 21 years on, same script of love, lies, and betrayal echoes 2003 Bengaluru techie murder
Image source X NEW DELHI: It began as a love story — a young woman engaged to a software engineer in Bengaluru in 2003. Four days after the engagement, the fiancé was bludgeoned to death on a quiet stretch near HAL Airport. Two decades later, in 2025, in the misty valleys of Meghalaya, a newlywed from Indore was hacked to death and dumped in a gorge by contract killers hired by his wife — the woman he had married just days earlier. Two murders. Separated by 21 years. But bound by chilling parallels — betrayal in love, the manipulation of trust, and an orchestrated kill in a desolate location. As investigators dig deeper into the murder of 29-year-old Raja Raghuvanshi in Sohra (Cherrapunji), Meghalaya, the case has brought back sharp memories of the infamous 2003 'Ring Road Murder' in Bengaluru, where 27-year-old Girish was killed in cold blood by his fiancée Shubha Shankaranarayan. Then a final-year law student, Shubha plotted the murder with her lover and college junior, Arun Verma, days after getting engaged to Girish against her will. THE 2003 MURDER THAT SHOCKED BENGALURU Girish, a software engineer with Intel, got engaged to Shubha, 21, on November 30, 2003. The families, neighbours in Banashankari II Stage, had known each other for over a decade. On the night of December 3, under the guise of a dinner outing, Shubha led Girish to a dark stretch near the HAL Airport, claiming she wanted to watch planes take off. Moments later, a hired killer struck from behind with a blunt weapon while Girish watched an aircraft. Shubha rushed Girish to Manipal Hospital, where he died. She claimed an unknown assailant had attacked him, but call records revealed dozens of calls to Arun Verma — her boyfriend. Bengaluru Police soon arrested four people: Shubha, Arun, and two others — Venkatesh and Dinakar — all found guilty of conspiracy and murder. A sessions court sentenced them to life in 2010. The Karnataka High Court upheld the verdict, saying the behaviour of the accused was 'compatible with guilt and incompatible with innocence.' Shubha, in 2014, was granted bail by the Supreme Court years later after having spent over four years in prison, while her co-accused were also released on bail. Her case even inspired a Kannada film, Ring Road Shubha, with an all-woman crew. 2025: ANOTHER LOVE STORY, ANOTHER DEATH Fast forward to May 2025 — Raja Raghuvanshi and Sonam, married just nine days earlier, arrived in Meghalaya for their honeymoon. On May 22, they were last seen checking out of a Shillong guesthouse, heading towards Sohra. A day later, they vanished. Raja's rented scooter was found abandoned. On June 2, his decomposed body was recovered from a gorge near Weisawdong Falls. A freshly bought dao (machete), raincoat, phone parts, and blood-stained clothing were found nearby. Police confirmed it was a planned killing. The shock only deepened when Sonam, initially believed to be missing, surrendered at a UP police station on June 8. Far from being a victim, she was named the mastermind. According to Meghalaya Police, she conspired with her lover Raj Kushwaha — an accountant in her father's firm — and hired three others to carry out the murder. Posters at Raja's funeral in Indore read: 'I did not die... I was killed.' His family, devastated and demanding a CBI probe, said the location where the body was found was so remote that only someone familiar with the terrain could reach it. STRIKING SIMILARITIES Both murders were committed by individuals who had pledged love but were secretly aligned with another partner. Both cases involved carefully planned attacks in secluded areas — one by an airport runway, the other deep in a forested gorge. In both, the victim was lured to the location under a false pretext. The Shubha-Girish case became one of the most sensational murder trials in Karnataka. With Raja's murder now unravelling by the day, public memory has turned to that haunting December night in 2003. Different names, different timelines. But the playbook of betrayal hasn't changed.
NDTV
3 days ago
- NDTV
Different Victim, Similar Story, Same Pain: Raja Raghuvanshi's Case Reminds Of 2003 "Ring Road Murder"
Quick Read Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. Raja Raghuvanshi was allegedly murdered by his wife, Sonam, during their honeymoon in Meghalaya. His decomposing body was found in a gorge, prompting a massive search and subsequent investigation. Sonam surrendered in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, after being implicated in the murder plot. Raja Raghuvanshi's murder has left his family grieving and the entire nation in shock, with case details being too disturbing to believe. Raja was allegedly killed by his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, on their honeymoon trip to Meghalaya. The case resembles Bengaluru's "Ring Road Murder" case that happened more than two decades ago when a bride-to-be killed her husband brutally. 2003 Ring Road Murder case in Bengaluru In 2003, Shubha Shankaranarayan, a 21-year-old law student, got engaged to 27-year-old software engineer BV Girish, who was reportedly earning Rs 1 lakh per month at that time. Girish was a well-behaved and simple man who seemed happy after the engagement ceremony. The wedding was set for the next year. Shubha also belonged to an affluent family as her father was a well-known lawyer. Just three days after their engagement on November 30, Girish was killed. It was a well-planned plot by Shubha. Shubha asked him to take her to a restaurant for dinner to understand each other better. While returning, she told Girish that she wanted to see the airplanes taking off and landing near the HAL airport. When they reached there, a group of men attacked Girish and beat him up, with Shubha screaming for help - an act to show herself innocent. Girish was admitted to the hospital after receiving severe head injuries. The next day, he was declared dead. Girish's family filed a police complaint, but there was no concrete evidence. The police remained clueless for days as the victim had no enemies or conflicts. The police then decided to re-watch engagement ceremony videos in which they found Shubha dull, upset and uninterested. The police treated it as a clue and started reviewing statements given by Shubha. The police investigation revealed that Subha's story didn't add up, and further scrutiny showed she had made 73 calls and sent numerous messages to her college junior, Arun Verma, on the day of Girish's death. This raised suspicions about Subha's involvement. The police enquired about Arun, who initially said he was out of town, and checked his phone's location, which was exactly the same as where Girish was murdered. This was also one of the initial cases in which phone location and call records were submitted to the Court as digital evidence. The police grilled both of them during interrogation and finally confessed that they had murdered Girish because Shuba was in love with Arun, and her father didn't approve of the relationship. Shubha and Arun hired two people to kill Girish. All four were sentenced to life imprisonment, with Shubha also convicted of destruction of evidence. The Supreme Court granted her bail in 2014. What hapened in Meghalaya? Raja and Sonam went on a honeymoon trip but went missing after a few days. The families informed the police, and a massive search operation was launched, which turned into a murder mystery after the recovery of Raja's decomposing body in a gorge near a waterfall in the Sohra area of the East Khasi Hills district. A few days later, Sonam surrendered in Ghazipur district in Uttar Pradesh, but the police said they already knew about Sonam's involvement in the case. Sonam has been accused of murdering her husband by allegedly hiring killers. The exact motive is still not clear, with some sources claiming it was because of a love affair with a man named Raj Kushwaha, who was also arrested along with Sonam and other alleged conspirators. The police are currently investigating all possible angles of the case.
