Newlywed Wife Arrested for Plotting Husband’s Murder During Honeymoon in Meghalaya
In a shocking twist to what initially appeared to be an accidental death, police have arrested Sonam Raghuvanshi, 25, in connection with the murder of her husband, Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi. Raja, who had gone missing during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, was found dead on June 2 in a ditch in the East Khasi Hills, with a machete nearby — the suspected murder weapon.
The case took a dramatic turn after an extensive two-week search for Sonam, who was initially believed to have been abducted. She was eventually located in the early hours of Monday at a roadside eatery in Nandganj, Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh — more than 1,200 kilometers from where her husband’s body was found.
According to police, Sonam contacted her family late Sunday night to reveal her location. Acting swiftly, her family notified Indore Police, who then coordinated with Uttar Pradesh Police. She was traced and taken into custody, medically examined at Sadar Hospital, and placed in a women’s shelter.
Authorities say Sonam confessed to orchestrating her husband’s murder with help from her alleged lover, 21-year-old Raj Kushwaha. Police allege the two had planned the murder on May 18 — just a week after Sonam’s wedding. The couple had left for their honeymoon on May 20 and went missing on May 23.
Investigators revealed that Raj Kushwaha allegedly hired three others — Akash Rajput (19, from Lalitpur, UP), Vishal Chauhan (22, from Indore), and Anand Kurmi (23, from Sagar district, MP) — to carry out the killing. All five individuals, including Sonam, are now under arrest.
SP Vivek Syiem of East Khasi Hills Police said Sonam’s surrender came only after police had arrested the other accused in coordinated raids across multiple states. “She hadn’t surfaced for days, but once the others were in custody, she contacted her relatives and gave up,” he said.
The case has now been formally registered as a murder and criminal conspiracy investigation, with teams from Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh police collaborating in the probe.
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