Meghalaya honeymoon murder: Court sends Indore woman Sonam Raghuvanshi, aides to 8-day police custody

Meghalaya honeymoon murder: A court in Shillong on Wednesday ordered that Sonam Raghuvanshi, accused of murdering her husband Raja Raghuvanshi during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, along with her four alleged accomplices, be sent to eight days of police custody.

Sonam, 24, was brought to Meghalaya late Tuesday from Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, while the other accused arrived on Wednesday on transit remand from Indore, Madhya Pradesh, according to police officials.

The police had initially sought a 10-day remand, but the court granted eight days, allowing the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to reconstruct the crime scene in Sohra (Cherrapunji), where the murder took place.

Raja Raghuvanshi, a 29-year-old businessman from Indore, and his wife Sonam went missing on May 23 while on their honeymoon in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills district. Raja’s decomposed body was discovered on June 2 in a deep gorge near a waterfall.

Sonam was arrested on June 8 after resurfacing in Ghazipur, where she surrendered to local police. Investigations revealed that Sonam had allegedly conspired with her boyfriend, Raj Kushwaha, and hired three men—Vishal Singh Chauhan, Akash Rajput, and Anand Kurmi—to kill Raja.

Police have said Sonam was so determined to eliminate her husband that she threatened to push him off a cliff herself if the hired killers failed. The autopsy report confirmed Raja died from two sharp blows to the head.

The SIT has secured custody of all accused from different states to aid in piecing together the sequence of events leading to the murder. Sonam’s brother has publicly supported Raja’s family and vowed to fight for justice.

Meanwhile, Sonam and co-accused Raj Kushwaha have reportedly blamed each other during questioning, complicating the investigation. Authorities continue to gather evidence, including CCTV footage and witness testimonies, as the probe intensifies into this chilling contract killing that unfolded under the guise of a honeymoon trip.