In a case that reads like a twisted thriller, Meghalaya Police announced on Monday that they had cracked the murder of Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi within just seven days. They arrested three contract killers and located his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, who is alleged to be the mastermind behind the crime. Sonam had gone missing after her husband’s death during their honeymoon.
Sonam was apprehended early Monday morning at a roadside dhaba on the Varanasi-Ghazipur highway, bringing an end to a 17-day interstate manhunt that spanned Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Meghalaya. The breakthrough came after Sonam made a brief phone call to her family, who promptly alerted the authorities.
Investigations have revealed a chilling plot: Sonam, allegedly aided by her lover and two associates, had planned Raja’s murder well before their trip to Meghalaya. What was supposed to be a honeymoon turned out to be a premeditated murder scheme.
“This is a major breakthrough within just seven days. Three assailants from Madhya Pradesh have been arrested, a female suspect has surrendered, and one more is being tracked. The operation is still ongoing,” Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said, commending the swift and efficient work of the state police.
The couple, newly married, had checked into a homestay in Nongriat village on May 22. The next day, both vanished without a trace. Their rented scooter was found abandoned near Sohrarim, and ten days later, Raja’s body was discovered in a remote jungle gorge near Weisawdong Falls. A machete, suspected to be the murder weapon, was found nearby.
Local witnesses reported seeing Raja and Sonam trekking with three unidentified men, who were later identified as the hired killers. This lead brought the police to central India.
Those arrested include Vishal Singh alias Vikki, Raj Kushwaha—believed to be Sonam’s lover—and Akash Rajput, a 21-year-old BBA graduate. All three were connected to a private company owned by Sonam’s brother in Indore. Akash, arrested from Lalitpur district in Uttar Pradesh, confessed to helping execute the murder during police interrogation. All three remain in Meghalaya Police custody.
Sources revealed that Raj and Sonam had been involved in a relationship for months, and the honeymoon was a ruse to lure Raja to his death. Sonam’s involvement became evident as police reviewed financial and phone records, but she had already gone into hiding.
“She had been in hiding for over two weeks. She claimed she was unwell but refused to disclose her whereabouts during this period,” a senior police officer involved in the investigation said.
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Sonam’s father, Devi Singh, has staunchly maintained her innocence. “My daughter is being falsely implicated. The Meghalaya Police is lying. They did not conduct any proper inquiry. I am 100 percent sure that Meghalaya Police officers are involved in Raja Raghuvanshi’s murder. We demand a CBI inquiry. If the CBI investigates, officials from the Meghalaya police station will be behind bars,” he said.
While Sonam is expected to be transferred soon to Meghalaya for formal interrogation, one more accused remains at large. Authorities suspect the conspiracy could be deeper than initially thought.
Meanwhile, the dhaba owner on the Varanasi-Ghazipur highway, from whose phone Sonam had called her brother, described her distressed state. He also spoke with her family as Sonam was barely able to speak. “She was crying so much that she could hardly speak. I asked what had happened. She said she and her husband had gone to Meghalaya for their honeymoon, and Raja was killed while trying to protect her from a group of men who tried to snatch her jewellery,” the dhaba owner recounted.
The misty hills of Cherrapunjee may have concealed the crime briefly, but the story of mystery, betrayal, passion, and murder is now unraveling. Meghalaya police sources indicated that the full truth is yet to emerge, and more details will be disclosed following Sonam’s interrogation.
Also Read: Indore man murdered on honeymoon in Meghalaya; wife held
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