A preliminary autopsy report has revealed that Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi was brutally attacked on both the front and back of his head, confirming suspicions of a planned murder. Police sources say the attack was executed during the couple’s honeymoon in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills and was allegedly orchestrated by his wife Sonam Raghuvanshi, her lover Raj Kushwaha, and multiple accomplices.
The grim findings have added a chilling layer to the already sensational murder case that has gripped national headlines.
Sonam Surrenders in Uttar Pradesh, Key Accused Arrested
Sonam Raghuvanshi, who had been missing since the incident, surrendered at the Nandganj Police Station in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh. Her surrender came days after her husband’s body was discovered in a gorge near Weisawdong Falls on June 2.
Three others—two men from Indore and one from Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh—were arrested in overnight police raids. Another accused was apprehended in Sadar district, Madhya Pradesh, on Monday, further widening the investigation into what police say is a premeditated murder-for-love.
Timeline: From Honeymoon to Homicide
Raja and Sonam had tied the knot on May 11 and left for their honeymoon in Meghalaya on May 20. The couple went missing just three days later, on May 23, during a trek from Mawlakhiat to Nongriat, home to the famed double-decker living root bridges.
Tourist guide Albert Pde, who saw them last, reported that the couple was accompanied by three unidentified men. They turned down his offer for a guided trek and instead hired another, unknown guide. That very day, they vanished.
ALSO READ: Meghalaya honeymoon murder: Indore woman orchestrated husband’s murder with contract killers, say police
Raja’s body was found nearly 10 days later in a gorge. Missing from his corpse were a gold ring and a neck chain, suggesting possible robbery alongside murder. A bloodstained machete was discovered near the body, and a raincoat matching one worn by the couple was later found in Mawkma village, located between Sohrarim and the gorge.
Adding to the trail of clues, the couple’s rented scooter, hired on May 22, was found abandoned at a café on the Shillong-Sohra road on May 24, sparking an official search.
Sonam Located at Kashi Dhaba, Sent for Medical Help
Weeks after vanishing, Sonam was found late at night near Kashi Dhaba on the Varanasi-Ghazipur highway. She was immediately taken to Sadar Hospital for medical attention and then shifted to a one-stop centre that supports women in distress.
The case has now led to coordinated investigations across Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, with multiple agencies pursuing leads and interrogating suspects. Police believe this was a pre-planned crime, with each step—from the travel itinerary to the attack site—carefully orchestrated.
