Meghalaya honeymoon murder: Raja Raghuvanshi's killing was not a 'contract killing' but a 'favour to...' — What cops say

Days after the tragic murder of Indore-based man Raja Raghuvanshi in Meghalaya, police quashed the initial theory of possible “contract killing" and alleged Sonam's lover Raj Kushwaha may not have been involved solely for money, but rather as a favour, reported PTI.

East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem, while speaking to PTI, said, “The three young people were friends, and one of them is a cousin of Raj.”

“It was not a typical contract killing. Yes, the plan was to kill, and they did it as a favour to their friend Raj,” the Meghalaya police official added.

Earlier, the Meghalaya Police arrested three young men – Vishal, Akash and Anand, alongside Sonam Raghuvanshi and her alleged lover Raj Kushwaha.

According to the details, Raj, a suspected boyfriend of Raja’s wife Sonam Raghuvanshi, is alleged to have masterminded the killing, while Sonam acted as a co-conspirator.

East Khasi Hills SP stated that though the three young men were believed to be hired killers, Raj gave them ₹50,000 for logistical expenses, and they acted out of personal ties.

Sonam’s fake death plan:

As per SP Syiem, the conspiracy to eliminate Raja was hatched in Indore in February prior to his wedding with Sonam on 11 May. Police added that the plan was to murder any random woman, burn the body, and pass it off as Sonam, so that it would give Sonam more time in hiding before the truth came out.

“The conspiracy to eliminate Raja was hatched in Indore, shortly before his wedding with Sonam on 11 May, and the mastermind is Raj, while the woman had agreed to the plot,” Syiem said.

Raja and Sonam travelled to Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills district soon after their wedding. But on 23 May, the newlyweds went missing from the tourist hotspot of Sohra (Cherrapunji).

On 2 June, Raja’s body was found in a deep gorge near Weisawdong Falls. Sonam, believed to be missing, resurfaced in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur on 9 June and surrendered to police.

Investigation underway:

All five accused—Sonam, Raj, Vishal, Akash, and Anand—were remanded to eight days of police custody on Wednesday. Police are recording statements and gathering further evidence.

“We are questioning them. We will gather more evidence and reconstruct the crime scene,” SP Syiem said, adding that police are confident of filing a charge sheet within the 90-day mandatory period.

With agency inputs.