Sonam Raghuvanshi escapes after husband’s Meghalaya murder.
According to police sources, her movements indicate a carefully planned getaway after the crime.
Sonam Raghuvanshi. According to police from both Meghalaya and Madhya Pradesh, the murder, carried out while the couple was on their honeymoon, appears to have been premeditated and meticulously planned.
On May 23, Sonam and Raja were reported missing from Shillong, Meghalaya, where they had travelled as a newlywed couple. Later that same day, police believe Raja was murdered by three men allegedly hired by Sonam and her alleged lover, Raj Kushwaha. Authorities have since arrested five individuals in connection with the case, including Sonam, Kushwaha, and the three alleged contract killers—Vishal Chauhan, Akash Rajput, and Anand Kurmi.
The police say the entire murder plot was executed with deliberate coordination and cunning.
After Raja’s alleged murder on May 23, Sonam quickly took measures to escape from the scene. This timeline was confirmed after investigators traced her journey using mobile location data, railway records, and CCTV footage at various stations.
Just one day after reaching Indore, on May 28, Sonam left for Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh. It was here, on June 9, that law enforcement finally tracked down and arrested Sonam. She had been evading arrest for more than two weeks, moving from state to state while authorities pieced together her movements.
Raj Kushwaha, a key suspect in the case, has also been taken into custody. He allegedly masterminded the plot with Sonam and facilitated the hiring of the killers. The three individuals reportedly hired to carry out the murder—Vishal Chauhan (Kushwaha’s cousin), Akash Rajput, and Anand Kurmi—are believed to have travelled to Meghalaya with Sonam under the pretext of a vacation. Though Kushwaha backed out of the trip at the last moment, he maintained constant communication with the group, police say.
During her brief stay in Indore before fleeing to Uttar Pradesh, Sonam allegedly stayed with Kushwaha at a flat in the Dewas Naka area. Indore’s Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP), Crime Branch, Rajesh Dandotiya, stated that the flat has been identified and will be sealed soon. We are trying to trace the owner of the flat as well,” said Dandotiya.
Interestingly, Kushwaha reportedly told police that he had backed out of the plan at the last minute. He claims he advised the three others not to go to Meghalaya either. However, they allegedly proceeded with the trip because Sonam had already booked tickets and made arrangements. According to police sources, even at the last moment, the hired men hesitated to commit the murder. But Sonam allegedly insisted, offering them ₹15 lakh to go through with the killing. These claims are currently being verified by police.
Authorities are now focused on piecing together every aspect of the conspiracy, including financial transactions, digital evidence, and communication records. The murder, initially reported as a disappearance during a honeymoon trip, has now turned into a multi-state criminal investigation involving calculated deceit, betrayal, and cold-blooded murder.
Meghalaya and Indore police are working jointly on the case and are expected to file a detailed chargesheet soon. As the investigation continues, more disturbing details may emerge, shedding further light on the depths of the conspiracy that ended with the life of a young businessman and the exposure of a chilling murder-for-money plot.