What began as a romantic getaway for newlyweds Raja and Sonam Raghuvanshi from Indore, Madhya Pradesh, turned into one of the most chilling murder cases in recent times.
Mr Raja’s decomposed body was discovered in a gorge near the Wei Sawdong waterfall on June 2, 10 days after the couple vanished during their honeymoon in Meghalaya.
What followed was a gripping investigation that exposed betrayal, greed and a carefully orchestrated murder plan unravelled by a single mistake.
Mr Raja and Sonam, who married on May 11, reached Nongriat village in Meghalaya on May 22.
Unknown to Mr Raja, his honeymoon was a death trap. His wife Sonam, police say, conspired with her lover, Raj Kushwaha, to have him killed.
The couple checked out of their homestay on May 23 for a day of sightseeing but never returned. Their rented scooter was found abandoned the next day, prompting a police search.
Days of heavy rain hampered efforts until the discovery of Mr Raja’s body in a gorge nearly a week later. The body was unrecognisable, but a tattoo bearing his name helped confirm his identity.
While the killers had left few traces, investigators stumbled upon a machete – a weapon uncommon in Meghalaya. That anomaly raised suspicions and led police to dig deeper. When call records showed Sonam’s contact with a known associate just before the murder, the investigation gained momentum.
From there, everything began to fall apart.
Police say Kushwaha plotted the murder days after Sonam’s wedding. He allegedly hired three contract killers – Vishal Chauhan, Anand Kumar and Akash Rajput – offering them Rs20 lakh ($300,000) for the job.
The killers posed as tourists, accompanied the couple and killed Mr Raja on Sonam’s instructions.
Sonam went missing after the crime but was tracked down in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, after asking a foodstall worker for a phone. Arrested and flown to Shillong, she is now in police custody.
The killers were apprehended across Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Investigators gathered a mountain of evidence: blood-stained clothes, Mr Raja’s belongings, CCTV footage from over 40 locations and matching travel records.
Despite the strong case, Sonam’s mobile phone – which may contain damning messages and calls – is still missing. The Rs20 lakh payment trail remains partly untraced, and investigators are working to map the post-murder escape routes of the accused.
Meghalaya Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem, who leads the case, confirmed that Sonam and Kushwaha face charges of criminal conspiracy and murder. “The physical and digital evidence overwhelmingly points to a planned killing,” he said.
