Sonam Raghuvanshi, lover Raj Kushwaha were brought to Shillong with the 3 contract killers and have been subjected to marathon interrogation
Sonam Raghuvanshi, who has been arrested for plotting her husband Raja Raghuvanshi’s murder, was brought to Shillong early Wednesday morning from Ghazipur where she was arrested early Monday morning.
Her alleged lover Raj Kushwaha, another key mastermind who was also arrested along with the three contract killers — Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan, and Anand — was also brought to Shillong with the hired assassins.
Here’s a summary of what both Sonam Raghuvanshi and Raj Kushwaha have confessed during the ongoing investigation in the Meghalaya honeymoon murder case:
Sonam Raghuvanshi’s confessions:
Confession 1: Sonam has reportedly admitted to paying Rs 50,000 to Raj Kushwaha to finance his and Raj and three other accused to Shillong, with the intent of trailing her and her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi. This was also revealed in the confessions of two of the arrested accused.
Confession 2: Sonam and Raj were romantically involved and she allegedly orchestrated the entire plot just days after her wedding — allegedly offering Rs 20 lakh and even arranging for an axe to be delivered online in Guwahati.
Confession 3: Investigators have also learnt that she reportedly told Raj that she would marry him once she became a widow, further underlining the premeditated nature of the crime.
Raj Kushwaha’s Confession:
Confession 1: Raj has reportedly acknowledged during interrogation that Sonam had actively recruited him for the murder plot during their Meghalaya honeymoon. He confessed that she pressured him to kill her husband and helped plan how to execute and conceal the crime.
Confession 2: Raj Kushwaha also claimed he didn’t want to support Sonam and at the last moment, cancelled his plan to go to Meghalaya. He also allegedly asked the three others not to go, but they went to see Meghalaya after Sonam booked the tickets. Even at the last moment, the three reportedly refused to kill, but finally killed him after Sonam insisted and said she would give them Rs 15 lakh for the murder, Hindustan Times reported quoting a senior Meghalaya Police officer whom they did not identify.
Confession 3: Raj also reportedly revealed during interrogation that Sonam promised to marry him after Raja’s death—statements corroborating the depth of collusion between them.
MEGHALAYA HONEYMOON MURDER: THE CASE TIMELINE
Raja and Sonam Raghuvanshi got married on May 11, 2025, and had traveled to Meghalaya on May 20 for their honeymoon.
However, the couple was reported missing on May 23 after checking out of a homestay in Nongriat village.
On June 2, Raja’s decomposed body was discovered in a gorge near the Wei Sawdong Falls near Cherrapunji.
A blood-stained machete and other personal items were found nearby, leading authorities to suspect foul play.
Police said Sonam allegedly hired three men from Indore to murder her husband.
All four suspects, including Sonam’s parmour Raj Khushwaha, have also been arrested by Madhya Pradesh Police.
Sonam was located at a roadside dhaba in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, early Monday morning where she reportedly arrived in a distressed state and requested to make a phone call to her brother.
After her family informed police regarding her whereabouts, she was taken into custody by a team of Uttar Pradesh Police.
Key Developments
Married on May 11, 2025: Sonam Raghuvanshi and Raja Raghuvanshi were married on May 11, 2025, in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
Newly-weds travel to Meghalaya for their honeymoon: The newly-married couple then traveled to Meghalaya on May 20 for their honeymoon. On May 22, the couple reached the Khasi village of Mawlakhaith near Cherrapunji and trekked down to Nongriat, famous for its living root bridge.
Sonam & Raja go missing: The following day on May 23, Sonam and Raja checked out of their homestay but never continued the journey as both go missing after being last seen that morning. In the days that followed, their rented scooter was discovered abandoned near a café on the Shillong-Cherrapunji route. A local guide claimed he saw the couple accompanied by three unknown men, a tip that later proved crucial in cracking the case.
Raja’s decomposed body found: On June 2, Raja’s decomposed body was found at the bottom of a deep gorge beneath Wei Sawdong Falls (near Cherrapunji). Police confirmed that he was murdered and a blood-stained machete was recovered from the site.
Sonam surrenders, later arrested: Sonam surrendered to the police in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, after being missing for 17 days. Reports said she called her family from a dhaba and her family members reported the matter to the police who took her into custody in connection with her husband Raja’s murder.
Four accomplices arrested: Four accomplices in the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case — including Sonam’s lover Raj Khushwaha — were arrested from Madhya Pradesh. They were reportedly hired by Sonam to kill her husband.
Family’s Response: Sonam’s family, however, maintains her innocence. Her father, Devi Singh, claimed that she voluntarily contacted her brother from a dhaba in Ghazipur and that police are fabricating the story that she hired contract killers to get her husband Raja murdered.
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