Summary
- Newlywed Sonam Raghuvanshi is in eight-day police custody for allegedly plotting her husband Raja’s murder during their honeymoon in Meghalaya.
- Police interrogations reveal a suspected premeditated plan involving her boyfriend Raj Kushwaha and three hired killers.
- The case exposes troubling layers of forced marriage, family pressure, digital footprints, and a cold-blooded conspiracy masked as a romantic getaway.
A Honeymoon Wrapped in Murder: The Tragic Trail from Indore to Sohra
When 29-year-old Raja Raghuvanshi and his 25-year-old wife Sonam left Indore for their honeymoon in Meghalaya on May 20, it was meant to mark the beginning of a new life. Instead, Raja ended up dead in a gorge near Weisawdong Falls, and Sonam—the woman he had married just 10 days earlier—is now in police custody as the prime accused in his murder.
Police say this was no crime of passion, but a cold, calculated murder allegedly planned by Sonam and her boyfriend, Raj Kushwaha. The investigation, currently unfolding in the misty hills of Meghalaya and extending as far as Uttar Pradesh, is not just about a tragic death. It’s a story of coercion, betrayal, and a chilling exploitation of trust—all under the pretense of marital bliss.
From evidence of forced marriage to live-location sharing with contract killers, the narrative feels more like a psychological thriller than a real-life crime. But for Raja’s grieving family, this horror is all too real.
Honeymoon turns into disaster: How Indore couple’s visit to Meghalaya became a tale of tragedy – husband found dead, wife suspected to be trafficked to Bangladeshhttps://t.co/KfVlCwZMe8 pic.twitter.com/2YZiY1m03q
— OpIndia.com (@OpIndia_com) June 8, 2025
The Interrogation Room: What the Police Are Asking Sonam
- Police suspect Sonam and Raj Kushwaha conspired before the wedding to eliminate Raja.
- She was questioned on missing return tickets and her communication patterns during the honeymoon.
- Evidence suggests frequent contact with Kushwaha and coordinated movements with the three arrested suspects.
- Sonam’s unharmed condition and intact jewellery raised red flags compared to Raja’s missing valuables.
- Investigators are examining contradictions in Sonam’s emotional demeanor during the wedding.
Meghalaya Police, who have taken Sonam into eight-day custody, are focusing on the chilling possibility that the honeymoon trip itself was a setup. She was reportedly asked why return tickets from Meghalaya were never booked and whether that was intentional. They also probed her relationship with Kushwaha, given claims from Raja’s brother that Sonam had confessed her love for Raj even before the arranged marriage.
Crucially, police have evidence suggesting that Sonam shared her live location with the three suspects arrested for carrying out the murder. They were spotted together in Sohra, the couple’s final known destination. Investigators are piecing together how Sonam managed to leave the area unharmed, while Raja’s gold chain and ring were missing—and his body found at the bottom of a ravine.
Forced Union, Fatal Outcome: A Marriage Under Duress?
- Raja’s family says he was reluctant to go on the honeymoon but was pressured.
- Sonam allegedly warned of “consequences” if forced to marry someone from her community.
- Her indifferent behavior during wedding rituals has become a focal point in the investigation.
- Raja’s mother claims the trip to Meghalaya was orchestrated by Sonam under suspicious circumstances.
Raja and Sonam’s marriage, solemnized in Indore on May 11, was reportedly the result of family pressure. Sonam’s romantic involvement with Raj Kushwaha was an open secret among her close friends and family, but traditions demanded she marry within her caste. According to Raja’s brother, Sonam had warned of “consequences” if forced to marry against her will.
This alleged threat now forms the emotional core of the case, as Raja’s family links it directly to his death. His mother claims he never wanted to go to Meghalaya and was forced into the trip by Sonam, who planned every detail.
The wedding video—now under police scrutiny—reportedly shows Sonam emotionally detached during the rituals, providing more circumstantial weight to the theory that the marriage was a front for murder.
A Crime That Crossed States: From Sohra to Ghazipur
- Raja and Sonam went missing on May 23 after checking out of a homestay.
- Raja’s body was discovered on June 2 near Weisawdong Falls.
- Sonam resurfaced in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, on June 9 and surrendered to police.
- Raj Kushwaha and three alleged contract killers have also been arrested.
After checking out of their homestay in Nongriat on May 23, the couple vanished. What followed was a tense 10-day search that ended in tragedy. Raja’s decomposed body was found in a gorge on June 2. Sonam was missing—until she surrendered in Ghazipur, 1,200 km away, days later.
Police soon arrested Raj Kushwaha and three alleged contract killers. The working theory: Sonam lured Raja into a remote area where he could be easily targeted. The fact that she fled and evaded capture for days raises further questions about the extent of her involvement.
Digital data is playing a key role. Investigators are examining phone records, location pings, and message logs to reconstruct the timeline of betrayal and death.
Trust Betrayed: What This Case Reveals About Love, Marriage, and Violence
As the interrogation deepens and the charges mount, this murder investigation reveals not only the sinister potential of romantic betrayal but also the dark underbelly of social conformity in India. Forced marriages, societal pressure, and suppressed love have long simmered in the country’s cultural narrative—but rarely do they culminate in such calculated horror.
The Raja Raghuvanshi case may well become a landmark in how police and courts address premeditated crimes within marriages, especially those that unravel far from home. It forces a reevaluation of how coercion, secrecy, and technology can combine to orchestrate tragedies under the illusion of tradition and love.
What remains now is the trial—not only of Sonam Raghuvanshi and her alleged accomplices, but also of a society still struggling to reconcile personal freedom with family honour.
