A Conspiracy Hatched Before the Vows
The Meghalaya police on Thursday revealed shocking new details in the murder investigation of Raja Raghuvanshi, who was killed on May 23 while on his honeymoon. According to Shillong Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem, all five accused, including Raja's wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, and her alleged lover, Raj Kushwaha, have confessed to their roles in the crime. The investigation has now established that the plan to murder Raja was conceived a full 11 days before Sonam and Raja were married.
Contrary to initial speculation of a contract killing, police have clarified that the three accomplices who carried out the physical attack were not hired assassins. They were, in fact, a cousin and close friends of Raj Kushwaha, who allegedly participated out of loyalty rather than for monetary gain. Police sources revealed that the conspiracy had been in motion since February, with the accused considering various schemes, including faking Sonam’s disappearance by drowning or murdering an unidentified woman and passing the body off as hers. When these initial plots proved unfeasible, Sonam went ahead with her wedding to Raja.
A Trail of Failed Attempts
The investigation has uncovered that the final, fatal attack was preceded by at least three unsuccessful attempts at different locations. The couple first traveled to Guwahati, ostensibly to visit the Kamakhya temple, where Raj’s accomplices were already waiting. When the plan to murder Raja there was aborted due to logistical issues, Sonam allegedly suggested a trip to Shillong. Further attempts in Nongriat and Mawkhlieh were also thwarted before the group finally succeeded in their plan.
On May 23, in a parking area near Wahkdait in Nongriat, Raja was attacked and killed by the three accomplices when he stepped away to use a restroom. Police confirmed that the assault occurred between 2:00 and 2:18 pm and that Sonam was present at the scene.
The Elaborate Escape Plan
Immediately following the murder, Sonam allegedly gave her blood-stained raincoat to one of the co-accused, who later disposed of it. The group of four then fled the area on scooters, with Sonam driving one herself. To conceal her identity, she changed into a burqa, reportedly provided by another accused on Raj's instructions, and took a taxi to Guwahati to begin a cross-country escape. Her journey took her from Guwahati to Siliguri, then to Patna, Ara, and Lucknow, before she finally reached Indore, where she stayed from May 26 to June 8.
The ultimate plan was for Sonam to eventually resurface, posing as the victim of a kidnapping, after enough time had passed for Raja’s body to decompose beyond easy identification in the remote gorge where it was dumped. However, the plan unraveled when Raj Kushwaha began to panic following the arrest of their three accomplices. On June 8, as police teams were closing in, Raj instructed Sonam to leave Indore and travel back towards Siliguri, where she was supposed to execute the final part of the fake kidnapping story. Her subsequent arrest brought the elaborate plot to an end.
Police stated they have sufficient evidence and intend to file a chargesheet within 90 days. While investigations suggest that Sonam may have married Raja due to family pressure, the detailed planning and cold-blooded execution of the murder point to a chilling level of premeditation that began long before the honeymoon trip.
