Indore honeymoon murder case: From couple's disappearance to ‘kidnapped’ wife Sonam Raghuvanshi's arrest

Meghalaya police on Monday arrested four accused, including “kidnapped” Sonam Raghuvanshi, 24, wife of Indore tourist Raja Raghuvanshi, 29, who was allegedly killed by men reportedly hired by Sonam and was found dead in the state during their honeymoon.

Three other accused, who hail from Madhya Pradesh, were arrested in overnight raids, whereas Sonam was picked up from Uttar Pradesh as she “surrendered” at the Nandganj police station.

A look at Indore man's murder case timeline

1. Raja Raghuvanshi and his wife Sonam, a newlywed couple, went missing on May 23 while on their honeymoon in Cherrapunjee, located in the East Khasi Hills, after their wedding on May 11.
2. The couple had arrived in Nongriat the day before and were last seen checking out of Balaji Homestay. The scooter they had rented was discovered abandoned in Sohrarim the day after their disappearance.
3. Ten days later, on June 2, the body of the Indore-based businessman was found in a deep gorge beneath the Weisawdong Parking Lot at Riat Arliang.

4. A machete, believed to have been used in the murder, was also recovered near the location, followed by a search for his wife.

5. A tourist guide in Mawlakhiat, Albert Pde, stated he had seen Raghuvanshi and his wife with three men on the day they disappeared, PTI reported. Five individuals were climbing over 3,000 steps from Nongriat to Mawlakhiat around 10 am, on May 23, according to the guide. He mentioned that he recognised the couple, as he had offered to guide them down to Nongriat on May 22, but they had politely declined and chosen another guide instead.

6. Sonam's brother told the police that their family suspected she may have been “kidnapped”.

7. Meghalaya Director General of Police, I Nongrang, informed that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrested the accused from Madhya Pradesh's Indore, whereas Sonam was picked from Uttar Pradesh on Monday after she surrendered. 

According to ADG Law and Order, UP, Amitabh Yash, “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. Ghazipur Police took her to the hospital and then to the One Stop Centre in Ghazipur. Meghalaya Police was present in Indore to investigate this case. Sonam Raghuvanshi will be handed over to Meghalaya Police as soon as they reach Ghazipur. UP Police has not interrogated Sonam Raghuvanshi.”

8. Nongrang said that the arrested men confessed that Sonam had hired them to slay Raghuvanshi.

9. “The operation is still continuing in Madhya Pradesh to catch some more persons involved in the crime,” Nongrang added.

10. The families of the husband and the wife have demanded a CBI probe. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said he has urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to direct a CBI investigation into the case.