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NDTV
19 minutes ago
- NDTV
"3 Men, Hindi Speaking, Non-Local": Tour Guide Helps Solve Honeymoon Murder
New Delhi: A statement from a tourist guide - possibly the last person to see Raja Raghuvanshi alive - alerted police to the possibility that three other men were involved in a grisly murder case filled with plot twists worthy of a Bollywood 'masala' movie, including hitmen, a love affair, and a bloody machete. At 10 am on May 23 Raja and his wife Sonam, from Indore in Madhya Pradesh and on the third day of their honeymoon, were spotted in Meghalaya's Mawlakhiat. That was the last time Raja was seen alive. They were seen by Albert Pde, a local who had helped guide them a day earlier through a three-hour trek to Nongriat to visit the 'living roots' bridge. He told local police he saw Raja and Sonam with three other men, none of whom were locals, he believed, because all three conversed in Hindi. Sources said this helped the cops expand search parameters. Who these men are is unclear at this time, but three male suspects - Vicky, Akash, and Anand - have been arrested in connection with Raja's murder. Police believe these were the hitmen. The police believe the three were hired by Sonam to murder Raja Raghuvanshi. Sonam apparently killed her husband (of less than a week) to continue a pre-existing relationship with her partner - Raj Kushwaha - who has also been arrested. Kushwaha is the 'mastermind' behind Raja's death, police sources told NDTV. What Happened To Raja Raghuvanshi? On May 21 Raja and Sonam Raghuvanshi checked into a homestay in Shillong. On May 22 they rented the two-wheeler and set out for Sohrarim. They reached Mawlakhiat that evening and hired a guide who guided them to the Shipara Homestay in Nongriat, their night halt. On May 23, after refusing Pde's services, they were seen with the three Hindi-speaking men. Twenty-four hours later Raja and Sonam were reported 'missing'. The blue two-wheeler they rented was found abandoned in the Sohrarim area, which is seven kilometres from the Mawlakhiat parking lot. Raja's body was found a week later. There was evidence to suggest he was hacked to death. A blood-stained machete was found 24 hours later, followed by his also blood-stained raincoat. Sonam was missing till June 8 when she surfaced in Uttar Pradesh, by which time the murder, dubbed 'the honeymoon murder case' - had made feverish national headlines. VIDEO | Moment Sonam Raghuvanshi, Accused Of Killing Husband, Was Found There are contradictions, though, with Meghalaya Police claiming she surrendered and their UP counterparts stating they found her, distraught and running a fever, at a roadside eatery. What we do know, for sure, is that on Monday, i.e., 24 hours after she was taken into custody, Sonam was declared the prime suspect in the murder of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi. What Raja Raghuvanshi's Mother Said Sonam made all the arrangments for the Meghalaya honeymoon but did not book a return ticket, Raja's mother told NDTV Monday, claiming also that she had 'forced' her son to wear jewelry worth Rs 10 lakh.
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Time of India
Indore Couple Missing Case: How a rejected local guide helped Meghalaya Police catch the 'killer' wife Sonam Raghuvanshi
How Sonam Raghuvanshi was caught lying From honeymoon to murder: a timeline of deadly conspiracy by wife Sonam Raghuvanshi Live Events You Might Also Like: Indore couple tragedy: Case gets a shocking twist, wife Somnam hired killers to murder husband Raja Raghuvanshi on honeymoon in Meghalaya You Might Also Like: Indore couple missing mystery deepens in Meghalaya: Husband found dead without valuables, wife still missing (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Testimony from guide Albert Pde, who was turned down by the Indore couple, led police to uncover the Raja Raghuvanshi murder plot and arrest the wife Sonam Raghuvanshi, for hiring killers during their honeymoon. It was a chance encounter that turned a rejected guide into the key witness in a murder investigation. Albert Pde, a local guide in Meghalaya's Nongriat village, had offered his services to newlyweds Raja and Sonam Raghuvanshi on May 22. The couple declined, choosing another guide. The next day, Pde saw them again—this time, accompanied by three unknown men, climbing the 3,000 steps back to Mawlakhiat.'I saw the couple with three men on the way up. The men were walking ahead, and the woman was behind them. They were speaking in Hindi,' Albert later told the police. His statement would become central to the investigation, helping police track the suspects and eventually leading to the arrest of Sonam Raghuvanshi, who allegedly hired the men to murder her husband during their and Sonam Raghuvanshi got married in couple flew to Shillong for their checked into Balaji Guest House in the couple rented a scooter, travelled to Sohra, and then to Mawlakhiat village. They trekked to Shipara Homestay in Nongriat with the help of a local guide. Albert Pde approached them that day but they declined his couple checked out of the homestay and started their return trek without a guide. Around 10 am, Albert saw them again, this time with three Hindi-speaking men. This was the last known sighting of head of Sohrarim reported an abandoned scooter to police. It was traced back to the search for the couple intensified but yielded no using drones found Raja's decomposed body in a gorge near Wei Sawdong Falls. A machete and mobile phone were found nearby. A blood-stained raincoat was recovered a few kilometres collected statements, including that of Albert Pde. CCTV footage showing the couple arriving at a homestay on May 22 also helped reconstruct the said he spotted the couple with three men around 10 am on May 23 while they were climbing the steep steps from Nongriat to Mawlakhiat. He recognised them because he had approached them the previous day, offering to guide them to the living root bridge in Nongriat. However, they had declined his offer and chosen a different added that the three men with the couple were speaking in Hindi, suggesting they were not local DGP I Nongrang confirmed that Sonam surrendered in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh. Three men accused of carrying out the murder were arrested in overnight raids.
NDTV
a day ago
- NDTV
Tourist Couple's Last 12 Hours In Meghalaya Village Before They Disappeared: What Witnesses Said
Quick Read Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. Newlyweds Raja and Sonam Raghuvanshi visited Nongriat, Meghalaya, during their honeymoon but went missing on May 23. Raja's body was found on June 2, while Sonam's search continues, with family fearing kidnapping. Witnesses recall their last 12 hours. Guwahati/Shillong: The 12 hours that a couple from Madhya Pradesh's Indore spent at Nongriat village in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills during their visit to the popular double-decker living root bridge have now been accounted for, according to investigators who spoke with the locals and took their statements. Newly wed couple Raja Raghuvanshi and his wife Sonam visited some areas during their honeymoon in Meghalaya before they went missing on May 23. While Raja Raghuvanshi's body was found in a gorge on June 2, a search is still on for his wife. Teams from the police and even the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are searching for Sonam, whose family said they believe she must have been kidnapped and have not lost hope of finding her. The couple checked into a guesthouse in Meghalaya's capital Shillong on May 21. The next day they hired a scooty and rode to the popular tourist hotspot Sohra (Cherrapunji). After reaching Mawlakhiat village in East Khasi Hills, they kept the scooty at a parking spot run by the local community for tourists, and hired a local guide to trek to a homestay at Nongriat village in the same district. The guide who took them on the trek to Nongriat from Mawlakhiat said it takes nearly three hours and involves descending some 3,000 steps. "The couple called us on May 22; it was late, around 3.30 pm, but I did not refuse and decided to guide them to Nongriat. After dropping them at Shipara Homestay, we left," the guide Bhakupar Wanshai said, adding another guide, Albert Pde, also accompanied them. "We offered our service for the next day (May 23), but they [the couple] refused, saying they know the route," Mr Wanshai said. Mr Wanshai in his police statement said Sonam did most of the talking with them in English. The couple and the two guides reached Shipara Homestay at Nongriat village at 5.30 pm, the woman who runs the homestay said. "On May 22, two guests came to stay here (Shipara Homestay). They came along with guides. I can't recall the exact time... but I think it was around 5 pm. When they arrived here, I showed them the room, and they agreed to stay. While we were sitting here, they asked about the room tariff and fees for the guide, and when to clear the payment, to which I said, 'today'," the homestay owner Sianti Sohkhlet said. She said the couple declined the guide's service for the next day. "I took the money and asked them to sign in the register, and showed them their room. They checked in and left to see the living root bridges after locking the room. They returned after a while. It was already dark. We prepared food and took it to their room. They had dinner and retired for the night," Ms Sohkhlet said. Shipara Homestay is located close to the double-decker living root bridge in Nongriat. "The next morning, I woke up around 5.30 am. The couple said they would check out early, so I asked if they would like to have breakfast. They refused, saying it was too early and they were not hungry," the homestay owner said. "They paid for the food [dinner] and signed out from the register. I asked if they would remember the way, and they said they would, pointing at the stairs before leaving," Ms Sohkhlet said. The couple left the homestay at 6 am on May 23. The last person who saw the couple was the guide Albert Pde. During questioning by the state police, he said he saw the couple at 10 am climbing the 3,000 steps towards Mawlakhiat village along with three men who he believed to be tourists. The couple went missing after that.
News18
2 days ago
- News18
Marriage, Disappearance, Death: Inside Indore Couple's Chilling Meghalaya Trip
Last Updated: Upon thorough search, Raja's body was found in a gorge on June 2, while a search is still on for his wife. An Indore-based newlywed couple – Raja Raghuvanshi (30) and Sonam Raghuwanshi (27) – who came to rain-soaked hills of Meghalaya for their honeymoon, shockingly disappeared on May 23. Upon thorough search, Raja's body was found in a gorge on June 2, while a search is still on for his wife. Here's the timeline of the incidents: May 20, Guwahati: The duo embarked on their honeymoon on May 20, where Guwahati was their first stop. May 21, Shillong: The couple reached Balaji Guest House in Meghalaya's Shillong and checked in. May 22 morning, Shillong: They rented a two-wheeler on Keating Road in the morning and returned to Balaji Guest House. They checked out, skipping breakfast, and informed the manager they'd be back by May 25, or would call if they needed a room. May 22 evening, Mawlakhiat, East Khasi Hills: The couple arrived in Mawlakhiat village on a rented scooter. They trekked over 3,000 steps down the gorge to visit the famous living root bridges in Nongriat village, where they stayed the night, according to police. May 23, morning: Mawlakhiat, East Khasi Hills: The couple checked out of Shipara Homestay and returned to Mawlakhiat village unaccompanied by their guide. They departed from Mawlakhiat and later they vanished from the Sohra (Cherrapunji) area. A search began in the surrounding areas with assistance from local villagers. Albert Pde, a local guide at Mawlakhiat, told news agency PTI that he saw the couple with three male tourists while they were climbing from Nongriat to Mawlakhiat around 10 am on May 23. The guide told the police the couple informed him they would manage by themselves and did not use his service for the return trek. May 25, Sohrarim: The police traced the scooty owner, who came to Sohra police station and confirmed that the Raghuvanshi couple had rented the two-wheeler. June 2, Wei Sawdong Falls: The semi-decomposed body of 30-year-old Raja was discovered at the bottom of the gorge near the Weisawdong Falls parking area at Riat Arliang. He was identified by a distinctive 'Raja" tattoo on his right hand. Recovered along with Raja's decomposed body were a machete, a white shirt belonging to a woman, a strip of medicine, a part of a mobile phone LCD screen, and a smartwatch. June 4, Sohra: A raincoat with blood stains — suspected to possibly belong to the missing tourist — was recovered near Mawkma Road, Sohra, and was sent for forensic testing. 'We recovered a wet raincoat. There are certain stains on it, but we cannot confirm if those are blood stains. Only forensic tests will determine that," East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem had said. The search for 27-year-old Sonam is still underway. Police have registered a murder case and are treating the circumstances with suspicion. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) is leading the probe. 'We are investigating with an open mind, and all possibilities, including honour killing, are being explored," SP Syiem told CNN-News18. Raja's body has been sent to NEIGRIHMS, Shillong, for post-mortem examination. As the search for Sonam continues, investigators hope that the recovery of the dao and mobile phone will provide critical leads in unraveling the mystery behind the suspected double homicide. First Published: June 07, 2025, 23:53 IST
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Time of India
MP tourist couple goes missing in Cherrapunjee
Shillong: A couple from Madhya Pradesh, Sonam Raghuvanshi and Raja Raghuvanshi, have been reported missing from Sohra (Cherrapunjee) since last week. SP (East Khasi Hills) Vivek Syiem confirmed on Monday that search operations are underway. The last sighting of the tourists was on May 22. They had hired a scooter from Keating Road, Shillong, and travelled to Mawlakhait, before proceeding to Nongriat where they stayed at Shipara Homestay. "They left Nongriat early in the morning at around 5:30 am the next day and returned to Mawlakhait. However, the scooter was not found at Mawlakhait. It was later reported abandoned near Golden Pines Dhaba in Sohra Rim by community members on May 23," the SP said. The local police received the abandoned scooter, which still had its key inserted. Subsequently, the police control room was notified, and the relatives of the couple filed a missing persons report. "All stakeholders, including nearby villages and local authorities, have been alerted. Police teams and home guards have been deployed in surrounding areas to trace their whereabouts," the SP said. Asked about potential foul play, Syiem said, "At this point, it's too early to speculate. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Our priority is to locate them. They were last seen in Nongriat and reportedly left early morning. We are trying to trace their movements since then." The SP said the couple had arranged the scooter rental for four days, and "it's possible they lost their way". Syiem added that tourist advisories were previously issued. "In fact, they had taken a guide from Mawlakhait to Mawriat. However, on their return journey, they were unaccompanied. The scooter being found abandoned with the key adds to the mystery, and efforts are ongoing to locate them."
