Meghalaya honeymoon murder: How a newlywed bride plotted husband's killing with her alleged lover

Raja Raghuvanshi, a 26-year-old transport businessman from Indore, was found dead in a deep gorge near the Weisawdong waterfalls in Sohra (Cherrapunji), Meghalaya, on June 2. He had travelled to the state with his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi (24), for their honeymoon. The couple, who married on May 11, arrived in Meghalaya on May 20. They were reported missing on May 23. Ten days later, Raja’s decomposed body was recovered with sharp head injuries, triggering a murder probe that has led to the arrest of five people, including Sonam.

Who are the accused?
Sonam Raghuvanshi: The prime accused and wife of the victim. She is alleged to have orchestrated the murder.

Raj Singh Kushwaha (21): Allegedly in a romantic relationship with Sonam, said to be the main conspirator, was taken into custody from Indore

Akash Rajput (19) and Vishal Chauhan (22): Accused of helping execute the killing; arrested from Lalitpur and Indore.

Anand Kurmi (23): Detained later from Sagar district in Madhya Pradesh.

All five have been remanded to the custody of Meghalaya Police on transit remand.

The arranged marriage
Sonam and Raja’s marriage was arranged through a society’s introduction booklet. The couple married on May 11. After the wedding, Sonam lived with Raja’s family for a brief period, showing no signs of distress or conflict. They left for their honeymoon on May 20.

Sonam booked the tickets for the trip. Though Raja hesitated, he ultimately agreed to go. Their journey first took them to the “Maa Kamakhya temple” in Guwahati before they continued to Shillong on May 23. Initially, they remained in contact with their family, but soon, communication was lost. Their mobile phones remained switched off from May 24.

Alarmed by the sudden silence, Raja’s brother Vipin and Sonam’s brother Govind decided to travel to Shillong to search for them. On May 25, they drove from Indore to Bhopal, then took a flight to Delhi, followed by another to Guwahati. From there, they travelled by car to Shillong and then took a taxi to Sora, determined to find answers. During their search, they met Anil, a local moped rental operator. He led them to the location where Raja’s rented two-wheeler had been found abandoned. With growing unease, they proceeded to the Sohra police station on the exact vehicle, hoping to uncover the truth behind the couple’s disappearance.

Murder for lost love?
Investigators believe Sonam was in a relationship with Raj Kushwaha, a former employee at her family’s sunmica business. Kushwaha, who had failed Class 12, worked as an accountant in the establishment. The two allegedly conspired to eliminate Raja so they could be together.

According to Meghalaya Police, Sonam hired Kushwaha and three others to kill her husband during their honeymoon. A local tourist guide, Albert Pde, spotted the couple with three unfamiliar men near Nongriat on May 23 — the day they were last seen.

Raja’s body was later recovered with two sharp head injuries — one at the back and one in front — suggesting he was attacked with a machete. A bloodstained weapon and other evidence were found at the scene.

Officials at the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) confirmed the autopsy report showed two sharp cuts on the head. East Khasi Hills district SP Vivek Syiem told PTI that these injuries matched the findings of the inquest.

The crucial witness
The investigation took a new but decisive turn when Albert, the local guide from Shillong, provided a crucial clue. He told police that he had seen Raja and Sonam accompanied by three other men on the day they went missing. According to his statement, the couple was spotted on May 23 at around 10 am, trekking between Nongriat and Mawlakhiat.

Albert recalled offering his services to the Indore couple a day earlier, suggesting he could guide them to Nongriat. They declined and instead hired another guide, Vansai Ko.

The next morning, he saw them again, but this time, they were not alone. He described how the three men walked ahead while Sonam lagged behind. They were conversing in Hindi, a language Albert did not understand, as he only speaks Khasi and English.

He noted that the group had spent the previous night at Shipra Home Stay and returned the next day without a guide. Albert’s testimony has become a crucial piece of evidence in the investigation, shedding light on Raja and Sonam's last known movements before the tragedy took place.

How was Sonam traced?
Sonam was located after she tried to call her parents from a dhaba on the Varanasi–Ghazipur highway. A staff member alerted police, leading to her detention at a nearby one-stop women’s centre. Though initially held at the eatery, police said she formally surrendered at Nandganj station in Ghazipur.

Chronology

• Raja Raghuvanshi and Sonam Raghuvanshi were married on May 11.
• Nine days later, on May 20, they left for their honeymoon in Meghalaya.
• On May 22, the couple visited Sohra, a popular tourist destination, and rented a two-wheeler from Sagar Sen Samal for four days. That evening, they explored Mawalkhait village before hiring a guide to visit the famous double-decker bridge in Nongriyat village.
• On May 23, the village head informed the police that the couple’s rented bike had been left unattended with the key still in the ignition at Golden Pines eatery.
• That same day, both Raja and Sonam spoke to their families, with Sonam specifically calling her mother-in-law.
• By May 24, Raja’s family began searching for the rental service that had provided the two-wheeler. On May 27, the Madhya Pradesh government intervened.
  
• Madhya Pradesh Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, a native of Indore, informed Union Home Minister Amit Shah about the case. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav also reached out to Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma
• During the search, police discovered two bags near a gorge.
• On May 28, Indore Member of Parliament Shankar Lalwani arrived in Shillong and met with senior police officers.
• On May 29, heavy rains forced Meghalaya Police to halt their search operation.
• The search resumed on May 30 but was again suspended due to bad weather on May 31.
• On June 2, police recovered Raja’s body from a gorge. On June 3, authorities confirmed that Raja had been murdered using a 'dao', the local word for machete, used to cut wood and trees.
• On June 4, Raja's body was transported to Indore.
• On June 5, CCTV footage surfaced showing the couple checking into a hotel in Shillong.
• On June 7, another CCTV clip emerged, showing Raja and Sonam adjusting their belongings in a suitcase outside a hotel.
• Chief Minister Mohan Yadav urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to initiate a CBI probe into the case.
• On June 9, Sonam was found at Kashi Dhaba in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh. Meghalaya DGP Idashisha Nongrang later revealed that she had plotted and actively participated in Raja’s murder.