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The Meghalaya police on Thursday shared shocking new information about the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi, revealing the disturbing depth of planning behind the crime. The investigation points to Raj Kushwaha, an employee of Raja’s father-in-law, as the main brain behind the killing, while Raja’s wife Sonam Raghuvanshi played a supporting role.
According to police, Raj and Sonam were in a secret relationship and plotted the murder during their honeymoon in Meghalaya on May 23. The police believe the planning began months earlier, around February.
Initially, their plan was to stage Sonam’s disappearance and make up a story around it. Investigators say the two even considered killing another woman and making it look like she was Sonam to help cover their tracks.
“Right from February, they had thought of ways in wherein Sonam would disappear. They thought about faking that she had washed away in a river. The second was to murder somebody, burn her body and pass it off as Sonam’s. All these things didn’t fructify. So when Raja and Sonam got married, they came for darshan to Kamakhya, the other group had also come here. The three people had come much before with the plans to eliminate Raja in Guwahati. When the plan didn’t fructify, Sonam made the plan to come to Shillong. That’s how this panned out,” he added.
Raj didn’t act alone, three other people helped him carry out the crime. Police say these men were his close friends, and one of them was a relative.
“All of them have confessed,” said Shillong Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem. “Sonam admitted she was part of the plan, which they finalized just before she got married to Raja. Raj was the mastermind, and Sonam supported the plot. The others involved included Raj’s cousin and two friends.”
According to investigators, it was Raj Kushwaha’s panic that eventually led to the arrest of Sonam Raghuvanshi, Raja’s wife and one of the key accused.
The senior officer explained that once the accused realized that police had identified three suspects, Raj advised Sonam to flee Indore and pretend she had been kidnapped. “He suggested she go somewhere near Siliguri and fake her escape from abduction. But things unraveled quickly. On June 8, as Sonam was leaving Indore, two of our teams were already operating in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh,” the officer said.
Raj got word that arrests were underway, and in a state of panic, told Sonam to call her family and claim she had escaped from captors. “That’s how the story broke open in Ghazipur,” the officer added.
Police say Sonam, 24, was in a relationship with 21-year-old Raj Kushwaha and had even warned her family not to force her into marrying Raja Raghuvanshi. Despite her threats, the wedding went ahead.
Raja, 29, was murdered during the couple’s honeymoon in Meghalaya. The initial autopsy report showed he was struck twice—once on the back and once on the front of his head.
All five suspects—Sonam, her lover Raj, and the three alleged contract killers Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan, and Anand Kurmi—have confessed, the police confirmed on Friday.
Investigators shared disturbing details of how the plan was set in motion. Sonam had told Raja that their marriage would be consummated only after they visited the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati. Raj and the hitmen had already arrived in Guwahati on May 19, planning to kill Raja there. However, the couple changed their route to Shillong and Sohra, so the plan was delayed.
After the murder, Sonam disguised herself in a burqa provided by one of the attackers and fled Guwahati. Her escape route included a long journey: from Guwahati to Siliguri by bus, then to Patna, onward to Ara, then by train to Lucknow, and finally by bus to Indore.
Police said Raja’s body was found on June 2. At that time, Sonam was already in Indore, where she remained until June 8, when her attempts to flee ultimately led to her arrest.
The investigation continues, but the police say they now have a full picture of the events that led to the chilling crime.
