Summary
- Police allege Sonam Raghuvanshi conspired with lover Raj Kushwaha to murder her husband, businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, during their honeymoon in Meghalaya.
- The murder plot, months in the making, originally involved faking Sonam’s own death by burning a stranger’s body.
- Five people have been arrested; police are reconstructing the crime and preparing charges within the 90-day deadline.
Love, Lies, and a Body in the Gorge: Inside India’s Most Chilling Honeymoon Homicide
When Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi and his new wife Sonam headed for their scenic honeymoon in Meghalaya, no one expected the trip to end in bloodshed, deception, and a criminal plot of cinematic proportions. On May 23, Raja was hacked to death at a remote waterfall near Nongriat by three men who were allegedly recruited by Sonam’s lover, Raj Kushwaha. The motive? A relationship that couldn’t tolerate the marriage—and a plot to erase the husband from the picture entirely.
But the conspiracy didn’t start in the hills of Meghalaya—it began months earlier in Indore. Police say the original plan was even more audacious: fake Sonam’s death by burning an unidentified woman’s body. Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem confirmed that multiple plans were considered before the group settled on murder. As the layers of the case unfold, the murder has become more than just a crime story; it’s a mirror reflecting the vulnerabilities in India’s domestic violence narrative, cross-state law enforcement coordination, and our social obsession with image.
Sonam and Raja had an arranged marriage on May 11 last year. For their honeymoon, the couple travelled to Meghalaya.
— THE SKIN DOCTOR (@theskindoctor13) June 9, 2025
On May 23, both went missing. A massive search operation followed, and on June 2, Raja’s body was discovered in a gorge, brutally hacked to death with an axe.… pic.twitter.com/XPXB7TWxHs
The Making of a Murder: Multiple Plots, One Victim
- Police revealed that the murder plot began as early as February and involved elaborate alternatives, including faking Sonam’s death.
- Raj Kushwaha allegedly orchestrated every detail, including recruitment of three accomplices from Indore.
- The group originally planned to execute the murder in Guwahati but shifted to Sohra due to logistical constraints.
- Raja was attacked with a machete and thrown into a gorge at the picturesque Eishawdong Falls.
- After the murder, Sonam fled wearing a burqa, escaping through Assam, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh.
What sets this case apart is the meticulous planning that preceded it. According to police accounts, Kushwaha and Sonam had been planning her ‘disappearance’ long before the wedding took place. From faking a drowning to cremating a stranger, the plots suggested a chilling detachment. But it was only when logistical failures derailed earlier plans that the group settled on direct execution.
The weapon was a machete, bought in Assam. The location—Eishawdong Falls—was deliberately chosen for its isolation. The act, police say, was quick and violent, committed between 2:00 and 2:18 pm. Sonam stood by as her husband was killed, later handing her raincoat to an accomplice to cover up bloodstains.
Escape, Deception, and a Staged Kidnapping
- Police say Kushwaha had even arranged a burqa and a route for Sonam to escape unnoticed.
- Tour guides confirmed seeing the group—Sonam, Raja, and three accomplices—together in Meghalaya.
- After the murder, Sonam was allegedly instructed to pose as a kidnapping victim.
- She surrendered in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, days after the plot began to unravel.
- Police uncovered digital trails, phone calls, and transport logs confirming coordinated movement.
Once the murder was done, the getaway plan was almost military in its precision. A burqa was handed over by Vishal Chauhan, one of the accomplices. Sonam’s escape route was mapped: Shillong to Guwahati, Guwahati to Siliguri, Siliguri to Patna, Patna to Lucknow, and finally to Indore. When police began closing in on Kushwaha in Uttar Pradesh, he allegedly panicked and asked Sonam to claim she had been abducted and had just escaped.
But the facade began to crack. Tour guides, digital evidence, and movement logs betrayed the truth. When police interrogated the accused, confessions emerged, but they were contradictory—each blaming the other. Sonam’s statement suggested coercion; she claimed she was forced into the marriage and went along with the plan to escape. Whether this remorse is genuine remains under scrutiny, according to DIG Davis Marak.
Justice in Motion: Legal Fallout and Police Strategy
- All five accused—Sonam, Kushwaha, and three accomplices—are in police custody.
- Police are reconstructing the crime scene to build a watertight case.
- Statements, digital forensics, and eyewitness accounts are being compiled.
- Investigators confirm the crime will be charge-sheeted within 90 days.
- The accused are not contract killers, but acquaintances helping a friend, police say.
Meghalaya police have so far taken a methodical approach. With all accused in custody and confessions recorded, focus has shifted to reconstructing the scene and building legal documentation. Investigators emphasize that the accused were not professional killers—just people trying to “do a favour” for Kushwaha. That in itself opens up a broader question: what is the price of loyalty in love-driven conspiracies?
The police also face the challenge of proving Sonam’s exact role—was she a co-mastermind or a manipulated victim? The legal strategy will likely hinge on whether the premeditation can be clearly attributed to her as an equal planner or merely as a willing accessory.
A Marriage Built on Motive: Where Emotions Turn Deadly
This case underscores not just the horror of a brutal murder, but also how deep personal relationships can become entangled with criminal intent. The murder of Raja Raghuvanshi during a honeymoon turned from a tragic loss to a scandalous tale of betrayal, deception, and moral erosion. As the case proceeds toward charges and trials, it raises important social and legal questions: What constitutes coercion in marriage? How should law enforcement handle cases involving manipulative romantic dynamics? And how do we spot red flags before they explode into tragedy?
What remains undeniable is that the truth, as horrifying as it is, has emerged only because of swift and cooperative policing across multiple states. Whether the justice system can keep pace with the complexity of human motive is the next chapter in this chilling saga.
