The mysterious disappearance of an Indore couple during their honeymoon in Meghalaya has unravelled into a chilling tale of betrayal, a contract killing, and a police operation that spanned multiple states. The murder of 26-year-old Raja Raghuvanshi, who had gone missing along with his wife Sonam during a trip to Shillong, was not an accident in the remote hills, but a planned execution orchestrated by his own wife, allegedly in collusion with her lover.
Raja and Sonam had an arranged marriage on May 11 in Indore. For their honeymoon, the couple initially planned to visit Kashmir but later changed the destination to Meghalaya. They flew from Indore to Guwahati via Bengaluru on May 20. After a visit to the Kamakhya Temple, they left for Shillong on May 22.
According to police sources, the murder was meticulously planned by Sonam and her lover Raj Kushwaha. While Raj did not accompany the group to Meghalaya, he remained in constant touch over the phone.
He is alleged to have hired three contract killers – Akash, Vishal, and Anand – who joined Sonam and Raja during their trip. On May 22, Raja and Sonam left their hotel on a rented scooter to explore the area.
On the morning of May 23, Sonam made a phone call to her mother-in-law, informing her about their plans and that she was observing a fast. After that, both their phones went unreachable. On the same day, a village head reported an abandoned scooter with the key still in it near a dhaba in the Sohra area, raising suspicions.
When Raja’s family was unable to reach the couple, his brother Vipin travelled to Shillong and lodged a missing person’s report on May 24.
Over the next few days, police and search teams, including NDRF and SDRF, began combing the forests of the East Khasi Hills. On May 27, the scooter rented by the couple was found abandoned near a cafe on the Shillong-Sohra road. Not far from the site, two bags were discovered in a gorge.
The search continued amid heavy rainfall. On June 2, Raja’s decomposed body was recovered near Weisawdong waterfall, in a 100-foot-deep gorge. The body was identified through a tattoo with his name ‘Raja’ on his right arm and a smartwatch. Police also recovered a white woman’s shirt, a strip of medicine, a broken mobile screen, and a new sharp-edged weapon from the site.
A post-mortem report revealed multiple sharp injuries to Raja’s body, with two major wounds – one on the front of his head and another on the back. According to East Khasi Hills SP Vivek Syiem, the murder weapon was identified as a tool typically used to chop trees.
The investigation took a dramatic turn as police traced Sonam’s call records and discovered frequent contact with Raj Kushwaha. Further technical surveillance and CCTV footage led them to Lalitpur, where Akash Rajput was arrested.
Subsequently, Vishal and Raj Kushwaha were arrested in Indore, and Anand was detained in Sagar. Sonam surfaced in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, on June 9, and surrendered to the police at a roadside eatery with her brother’s help.
According to sources in the Shillong Police, after committing the murder, Sonam and the three contract killers – Akash, Vishal, and Anand – travelled together to Guwahati, stayed there for a day, and then split up to avoid detection. Police claim that Sonam lured Raja to a deserted road where the killers were waiting. The four accused then killed Raja and fled.
A guide in Meghalaya later revealed that apart from Raja and Sonam, three other individuals were seen with them and were speaking in Hindi, lending further credibility to the police theory of premeditated involvement by the three killers.
All the five accused – Sonam, Raj Kushwaha, Akash, Vishal, and Anand – will be brought to Shillong for further investigation, and police will seek their remand after presenting them in court.
Meanwhile, Sonam’s father has rejected the murder-for-hire allegations, claiming the Meghalaya Police are fabricating the case. He has demanded a CBI inquiry and alleged that Sonam told him she was kidnapped and robbed in Meghalaya and had no memory of how she ended up in Uttar Pradesh.
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