Meghalaya Honeymoon Murder: Crime Branch Reveals Chilling Conspiracy Behind Raja Raghuvanshi’s Death
In a chilling development in the murder case of 26-year-old Raja Raghuvanshi, Crime Branch officers from Madhya Pradesh have revealed that the murder was allegedly planned just days after Raja’s wedding to Sonam Raghuvanshi. The prime suspect, 21-year-old Raj Kushwaha—who worked at Sonam’s family’s plywood business—was arrested in Indore, while Sonam surrendered in Uttar Pradesh. Murder Allegedly Planned Soon After Marriage According to investigators, Kushwaha and Sonam allegedly conspired to eliminate Raja during the couple’s honeymoon in Meghalaya. Authorities believe Sonam provided Raja’s location to the hired killers, who then tracked the couple down during their trip. Meanwhile, Kushwaha remained in Indore to maintain an alibi and was even seen comforting Sonam’s father during Raja’s funeral, further raising suspicions. Hired Killers Followed the Couple to Meghalaya Police have identified three more accused—Vishal Chauhan, Akash Rajput, and Anand Kurmi—who were allegedly hired by Kushwaha to carry out the murder. The trio reportedly traveled to Guwahati by train and then proceeded to Meghalaya. The breakthrough in the case came when a local guide informed the Meghalaya police that he had seen Sonam walking behind Raja and the three men near the suspected murder site. Murder Weapon and Motive Under Investigation The murder weapon—a dao, a type of machete—also raised red flags, as it was not typical of the area. Police believe it was possibly procured in Guwahati. Investigators suspect that Sonam and Kushwaha maintained constant communication in the days leading up to the murder, which contributed to the Crime Branch’s suspicions. Additional DCP (Crime) Rajesh Dandotiya confirmed that the suspects traveled via Bihar before reaching Guwahati and ultimately Meghalaya. A seven-day transit remand was granted to Shillong police. The fourth accused, Anand Kurmi, is being brought to Indore from Bina in Sagar district. Family Raises Further Allegations Against Sonam Raja’s brother, Vipin Raghuvanshi, expressed shock and said he had never met Kushwaha, though he had heard of his frequent conversations with Sonam. He added that the couple initially planned to visit the Maa Kamakhya Temple in Assam before heading to Shillong but had no confirmed return tickets. Raja’s mother, Uma Raghuvanshi, alleged that Sonam insisted on planning the honeymoon herself and took Rs 9 lakh from Raja to arrange the trip. She also accused Sonam of convincing Raja to carry expensive jewellery, which went against the family’s wishes. Furthermore, Uma claimed Raja had doubts about Sonam’s affection for him even before the wedding, but later, Sonam started engaging more with Raja—possibly to gain his trust and proceed with the honeymoon plan. Investigation Ongoing The case has sent shockwaves across the country, with law enforcement continuing to investigate financial transactions, phone records, and the sequence of events. Authorities are now probing whether Sonam arranged the payments for the killers and what role each accused played in the crime.
