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NDTV
2 days ago
- NDTV
A Murder, 3 Grieving Mothers: How Meghalaya Killing Has Affected Families
Indore: What began as a dreamy honeymoon for an Indore-based couple in Meghalaya has unravelled into a sordid saga of murder and betrayal, leaving three families heartbroken. The shocking death of 29-year-old Indore transport businessman Raja Raghuvanshi has ripped open a dark secret, plunging three mothers into unimaginable grief. As Meghalaya Police peel the layers of this horrific crime, the narrative points to a "murder of trust" within the most intimate of relationships. According to Meghalaya Police, Sonam was allegedly involved in the conspiracy to murder her husband Raja Raghuvanshi with her alleged lover Raj Kushwaha. The duo had hired three killers to execute the plan. Uma Raghuvanshi stands by her son Raja's garlanded photograph, her face a mask of grief and bewildered anger. "Initially, we couldn't believe that my daughter-in-law Sonam could get my son Raja killed," she told PTI, her voice trembling. "But we are slowly starting to believe it now." The questions that haunt her is, "If Sonam liked another boy, why didn't she refuse to marry Raja? Why did she kill my son?" The two got married on May 11 and left for honeymoon on May 20. During the probe, it emerged that Sonam herself had planned the trip to Meghalaya. "I didn't know that my son would return from Meghalaya as a dead body," Uma said while crying inconsolably and recalling the warm send-off the day the couple left, little knowing that it would turn into a tragic farewell. The family was completely unaware of Raj Kushwaha's existence before the Meghalaya police investigated the case. Miles away from Raja's residence, in a small rented house in Indore, Raj Kushwaha's mother, Chunni Devi, is also inconsolable, along with her three daughters. "My son is innocent. He has been framed. How can a 20-year-old boy commit such a big crime? He is the only breadwinner in our house after my husband passed away," she told PTI. She also claimed that her son even attended Raja Raghuvanshi's funeral procession and returned home in tears. "My son was saddened by Raja Raghuvanshi's death and even went to his funeral procession. After returning from the funeral procession, he was crying a lot. I had consoled him that everything will be fine and what is the use of crying now," the mother of the alleged main conspirator said. Sonam's maternal home in Indore's Govind Nagar Kharcha area is in a different kind of shock. Her family runs a business dealing in Sunmica sheets, where Raj Kushwaha, a 12th-grade dropout, worked as an accountant. Sonam's mother, Sangeeta, was reluctant to speak to the media. "False allegations are being made against my daughter. I cannot say right now what might have happened to Raja Raghuvanshi in Meghalaya?" she muttered. The mother of Sonam, the alleged main accused, demanded that there should be a detailed investigation into the murder of her son-in-law. Raja Raghuvanshi and Sonam were reported missing on May 23 and days later, the body of the newlywed groom was discovered on June 2 in a deep gorge near a waterfall in Sohra, also known as Cherrapunji, in the East Khasi Hills district. Sonam surrendered to the police in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur district, while Raj Kushwaha and three other accused were apprehended in various parts of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Meghalaya Police is probing every detail of this case. However, for the three mothers whose lives have been irrevocably shattered, the tears continue to flow.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Three mothers grieve after honeymoon turns deadly
Indore, What began as a dreamy honeymoon for an Indore-based couple in Meghalaya has unravelled into a sordid saga of murder and betrayal, leaving three families heartbroken. The shocking death of 29-year-old Indore transport businessman Raja Raghuvanshi has ripped open a dark secret, plunging three mothers into unimaginable grief. As Meghalaya Police peel the layers of this horrific crime, the narrative points to a "murder of trust" within the most intimate of relationships. According to Meghalaya Police, Sonam was allegedly involved in the conspiracy to murder her husband Raja Raghuvanshi with her alleged lover Raj Kushwaha. The duo had hired three killers to execute the plan. Uma Raghuvanshi stands by her son Raja's garlanded photograph, her face a mask of grief and bewildered anger. "Initially, we couldn't believe that my daughter-in-law Sonam could get my son Raja killed," she told PTI, her voice trembling. "But we are slowly starting to believe it now." The questions that haunt her is, "If Sonam liked another boy, why didn't she refuse to marry Raja? Why did she kill my son?" The two got married on May 11 and left for honeymoon on May 20. During the probe, it emerged that Sonam herself had planned the trip to Meghalaya. "I didn't know that my son would return from Meghalaya as a dead body," Uma said while crying inconsolably and recalling the warm send-off the day the couple left, little knowing that it would turn into a tragic farewell. The family was completely unaware of Raj Kushwaha's existence before the Meghalaya police investigated the case. Miles away from Raja's residence, in a small rented house in Indore, Raj Kushwaha's mother, Chunni Devi, is also inconsolable, along with her three daughters. "My son is innocent. He has been framed. How can a 20-year-old boy commit such a big crime? He is the only breadwinner in our house after my husband passed away," she told PTI. She also claimed that her son even attended Raja Raghuvanshi's funeral procession and returned home in tears. "My son was saddened by Raja Raghuvanshi's death and even went to his funeral procession. After returning from the funeral procession, he was crying a lot. I had consoled him that everything will be fine and what is the use of crying now," the mother of the alleged main conspirator said. Sonam's maternal home in Indore's Govind Nagar Kharcha area is in a different kind of shock. Her family runs a business dealing in Sunmica sheets, where Raj Kushwaha, a 12th-grade dropout, worked as an accountant. Sonam's mother, Sangeeta, was reluctant to speak to the media. "False allegations are being made against my daughter. I cannot say right now what might have happened to Raja Raghuvanshi in Meghalaya?" she muttered. The mother of Sonam, the alleged main accused, demanded that there should be a detailed investigation into the murder of her son-in-law. Raja Raghuvanshi and Sonam were reported missing on May 23 and days later, the body of the newlywed groom was discovered on June 2 in a deep gorge near a waterfall in Sohra, also known as Cherrapunji, in the East Khasi Hills district. Sonam surrendered to the police in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur district, while Raj Kushwaha and three other accused were apprehended in various parts of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. The Special Investigation Team constituted by the Meghalaya Police is probing every detail of this case. However, for the three mothers whose lives have been irrevocably shattered, the tears continue to flow.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- The Hindu
‘My daughter is innocent', says father of M.P. woman accused of hiring men to kill husband
The father of an Indore-based woman, who has been accused of hiring men to kill her husband during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, on Monday (June 9, 2025) claimed his daughter was "100% innocent" and demanded a CBI probe into the matter. A relative of deceased local transport businessman Raja Raghuvanshi also said they cannot believe his wife Sonam Raghuvanshi was behind his murder, but if she is proved guilty, she should be given the harshest punishment. He said Ms. Sonam Raghuvanshi made a video call to her brother on Sunday (June 8, 2025) night following which Raja Raghuvanshi's family informed the Uttar Pradesh police about her presence in that State. Indore resident Raja Raghuvanshi was allegedly killed by men hired by his wife during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, DGP I. Nongrang said on Monday (June 9, 2025) morning. Speaking to PTI, she said the woman surrendered before the police in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur, while three other assailants were arrested in overnight raids. Raja Raghuvanshi and his wife went missing while vacationing in Meghalaya's Sohra area on May 23. His body was found in a gorge on June 2. Ms. Sonam Raghuvanshi's father, however, refuted the police's claims. "My daughter is 100% innocent. We demand a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation [CBI] into the case," Ms. Sonam Raghuvanshi's father Devi Singh Raghuvanshi told reporters. "The Meghalaya police are giving false statements about my daughter because the State Government's image is getting tarnished due to Raja Raghuvanshi's murder case," he alleged. He further claimed the Meghalaya police have no evidence against his daughter that she gave a contract to get her husband killed. Meanwhile, Raja Raghuvanshi's brother Vipin Raghuvanshi said, "Sonam made a video call to her brother Govind late last night. After this, we called the Uttar Pradesh police and informed them about Sonam being in their State." "Until the alleged contract killers are confronted with Sonam, we cannot believe that she had hired them to kill her husband," he said. 'If Sonam is found guilty in the murder of her husband, then she should get the harshest punishment,' he added. The name of a person named Raj Kushwaha has surfaced in the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case. Ms. Sonam's father, who runs a business of Sunmica sheets used in furniture, said a person named Raj Kushwaha is associated with his establishment and till the day before yesterday he was working at his warehouse. "Kushwaha's name is being wrongly linked with my daughter Sonam. The Meghalaya police are making false allegations against my daughter to save their skin. I will send a legal notice to the Meghalaya police. I want the CBI to investigate the entire matter," he said. After their marriage on May 11, Raja Raghuvanshi and his wife left for Meghalaya on May 20 for their honeymoon. They arrived at Mawlakhiat village in the north-eastern State on May 22 on a rented scooter. On May 24, their scooter was found abandoned at a cafe along the road from Shillong to Sohra, following which the search for them began.
