Indore couple honeymoon horror: Wife Sonam orchestrated Raja Raghuvanshi's murder, hired killers, says top cop; arrested

Raja Raghuvanshi was allegedly murdered by contract killers hired by his wife, Sonam, during their honeymoon in Meghalaya. Sonam reportedly surrendered to police, and three suspects were arrested.

Livemint, Written By Arshdeep Kaur
Updated9 Jun 2025, 12:33 PM IST
Uttar Pradesh police said they found Sonam Raghuvanshi 'safe' at a dhaba in Ghazipur.
Uttar Pradesh police said they found Sonam Raghuvanshi 'safe' at a dhaba in Ghazipur. (Source: ADG Law and Order, Uttar Pradesh)

Sonam Raghuvanshi, wife of Indore resident Raja Raghuvanshi, who was found murdered in Meghalaya during their honeymoon, has been arrested for allegedly hiring contract killers to orchestrate his murder, a top cop said on Monday, news agency PTI reported.

Meghalaya DGP I Nongrang told PTI that Sonam surrendered to the police in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur late on Sunday evening, while three other assailants were arrested in overnight raids.

“One person was picked up from UP, and another two accused were apprehended from Indore by the SIT,” she said, adding that Sonam surrendered at the Nandganj police station in UP and was subsequently arrested.

Nongrang said the arrested men have revealed that the wife had hired them to kill Raghuvanshi.

"The operation is still continuing in Madhya Pradesh to catch some more persons involved in the crime," she said.

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Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh police said they found Sonam “safe” at a dhaba in Ghazipur. “Sonam Raghuvanshi called her family members at around 3 AM and informed them that she was present at the Kashi Dhaba on Varanasi-Ghazipur main road,” said Amitabh Yash, ADG Law and Order, Uttar Pradesh. 

Yash added that Sonam was sent to Sadar Hospital for initial treatment and then kept in the One Stop Centre in Ghazipur for safety and further inquiry. 

He added that Sonam Raghuvanshi will be handed over to Meghalaya Police, who are currently in Indore, as soon as they reach Ghazipur.

“UP Police has not interrogated Sonam Raghuvanshi,” Yash said.

Confirming the arrests, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, in a tweet, said all three assailants in the Raja Raghuvanshi case hailed from Madhya Pradesh. He also shared that the search for one more is on.

“Within 7 days, a major breakthrough has been achieved by the Meghalaya Police in the Raja murder case. 3 assailants who are from Madhya Pradesh have been arrested, a female has surrendered, and the operation is still on to catch one more assailant… well done,” Conrad Sangma wrote.

Also Read | Indore honeymooner found dead in Meghalaya, audio of wife's last call surfaces

This comes a day after a tourist guide informed police that the honeymoon couple was accompanied by three men.

Albert Pde, a guide at Mawlakhiat, had told PTI that he had seen the couple accompanied by three male tourists as they climbed over 3,000 steps from Nongriat to Mawlakhiat around 10 AM on May 23.

Also Read | Meghalaya murder : CCTV footage shows Indore couple day before went missing

Raja Raghuvanshi and his wife Sonam went missing on May 23, just hours after they checked out of a homestay at Nongriat village in Sohra area in Shillong.

Raja's body was found in a gorge near Weisawdong Falls on June 2.

A gold ring and a chain were found missing from his body, which led to suspicion that he had been murdered. A day later, a bloodstained machete was discovered nearby, and two days later, a raincoat that was similar to the one used by the couple was found in Mawkma village, halfway between Sohrarim and the gorge where Raja's body was found.

Another CCTV footage from one of the homestays showed that Sonam was wearing a similar raincoat.

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