Shillong/Indore, June 9, 2025: Investigations into the murder of Indore tourist Raja Raghuvanshi in Meghalaya have taken a dramatic turn with authorities confirming that his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, is one of the prime suspects in orchestrating the crime, allegedly in collaboration with her lover, 21-year-old Raj Kushwaha.
According to the Meghalaya Police, Sonam, 24, allegedly plotted her husband's murder while on their honeymoon in Sohra (Cherrapunjee), providing crucial GPS details and trip updates to Kushwaha. He is now believed to have acted as the handler of three other accomplices, who executed the murder on May 23 - the same day the couple was reported missing.
Four men have been arrested so far: Raj Kushwaha and Vishal Singh Chauhan from Indore, Akash Rajput from Lalitpur (Uttar Pradesh), and Anand Singh Kurmi from Sagar (Madhya Pradesh). The arrests followed coordinated raids by Meghalaya Police with local counterparts across multiple states. Sonam was detained after she surrendered in an unconscious state at a dhaba in Ghazipur, UP, and is now in custody.
Indore’s Additional Commissioner of Police, Amit Singh, confirmed the arrest of the four accused and revealed, “Sonam had an affair with Raj Kushwaha and was in constant communication with him during her trip. She shared live updates and GPS locations from Meghalaya.”
Superintendent of Police (East Khasi Hills), Vivek Syiem, said that while Raj Kushwaha never entered Meghalaya, he orchestrated the plan from afar. The motive is believed to center around the illicit relationship between Sonam and Raj, though full details are still under investigation. An SIT has been formed and a transit remand is underway to bring Sonam to Meghalaya for interrogation.
Raja’s elder brother, Vipul, stated that Raj Kushwaha was an employee at Sonam’s father’s sawmill and that he and Sonam “spoke frequently over the phone.” He added, “We suspect Sonam’s involvement. They never even booked a return ticket from Meghalaya.”
Meanwhile, eyewitness Sahil Yadav, the owner of the roadside eatery where Sonam was found, said she appeared “mentally disturbed,” claiming her husband was killed by robbers. “She asked to borrow my phone to call her family but collapsed while speaking to them,” he recalled.
The murder came to light on June 2 after Raja’s decomposed body was recovered from a gorge near Wei Sawdong Falls. The autopsy revealed two deep head injuries. Police say the assailants fled the state the same day. Initially treated as a missing persons case, the investigation shifted gears once the body was discovered amid challenging terrain and inclement weather.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma lauded the swift police work, tweeting that within a week, a major breakthrough was achieved.
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The case has sparked national attention and raises pressing questions about digital surveillance, inter-state crime networks, and the fragility of trust within newly forged relationships.
