Ghazipur: The mysterious murder of Indore-based Raja Raghuvanshi during his honeymoon in Meghalaya has taken a sinister turn, with investigators now probing the involvement of his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, in an alleged premeditated plot.
Emerging details suggest that Sonam was involved in a romantic relationship with Raj Kushwaha prior to her marriage. Kushwaha had previously worked for Sonam’s father in his plywood business.
Kushwaha, who is reportedly five years younger than Sonam, has been identified as the main conspirator in the killing.
Sources involved in the investigation say call detail records showed frequent contact between Sonam and Kushwaha—evidence that became pivotal in the collaborative probe between police teams from Indore and Shillong.
As per reports, Sonam returned to her mother’s residence shortly after the wedding, where she allegedly conspired with Kushwaha to plan Raja’s murder on May 16.
The next day, she reportedly withdrew Rs. 9 lakh in cash. Investigators also noted that she had insisted Raja keep wearing his gold jewellery.
Based on this information, Kushwaha has since been taken into custody.
Meghalaya Police, however, have yet to issue an official confirmation.
Sonam, who had vanished following the incident, resurfaced in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur district.
She turned herself in at the Nandganj police station, reportedly due to growing pressure from the ongoing multi-state investigation.
Authorities believe she and Kushwaha orchestrated the murder by hiring three contract killers: Vicky Thakur, Anand, and Akash.
Investigators have also revealed that Sonam deliberately chose Meghalaya as the honeymoon destination and booked only one-way travel, pointing to a carefully plotted crime.
The couple was reported missing on May 23, setting off a search operation.
Ten days later, Raja’s body was discovered at the bottom of a deep gorge near the Weisawdong Parking Lot at Riat Arliang. A machete believed to have been used in the murder was found near the site.
At the time, Sonam had also gone missing, prompting a coordinated manhunt across states. On Monday, Meghalaya IGP Dalton P. Marak confirmed her surrender and announced that she would be brought back to the state for court proceedings.
“Sonam surrendered under pressure last night. This brings the total number of arrests to four, though one suspect remains at large,” he said.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh ADG (Law and Order) Amitabh Yash stated that Sonam was apprehended near the Kashi Dhaba on the Varanasi-Ghazipur highway and taken to Sadar Hospital for a medical check-up. She is currently in custody at the One Stop Centre in Ghazipur.
The case, which initially appeared to be a missing person report, escalated into a suspected contract killing, drawing national attention.
Families from both sides have questioned the handling of the case by Meghalaya police, calling for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe.
They claim that early leads—including CCTV footage and GPS data from a rented scooter that showed multiple individuals with the couple—were overlooked.
Meghalaya DGP Idashisha Nongrang has assured that the investigation is being conducted with diligence. She emphasised that the arrested suspects are being thoroughly interrogated and that coordinated operations are ongoing in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh to locate the remaining accused.
The police have urged the public and media to refrain from speculation and allow the investigation to unfold.
