Shillong/Indore, June 10: A woman and her alleged lover have been arrested along with three hired men in connection with the murder of her husband during their honeymoon in the northeastern Indian state of Meghalaya, police said on Monday.
Raja Raghuvanshi, 26, from Indore in Madhya Pradesh, was reported missing along with his wife Sonam Raghuvanshi on May 23 after they failed to return from a sightseeing trip near the popular Wei Sawdong waterfall. The couple had married just 12 days earlier.
His decomposed body was discovered on June 2 in a gorge near the waterfall. Authorities identified him through a tattoo bearing his name and confirmed the cause of death as blunt force trauma from a sharp weapon.
Investigators allege that Raja was killed in a premeditated plot orchestrated by his wife Sonam and her long-time acquaintance Raj Kushwaha, 21, who allegedly hired three men to carry out the murder.
“The plan was executed during the couple’s honeymoon, with the killers tracking their movements in Meghalaya,” said Vivek Syiem, Superintendent of Police in East Khasi Hills district.
Kushwaha, a former employee at a plywood factory owned by Sonam’s family, allegedly remained in Indore during the crime to maintain an alibi, even appearing at the victim’s last rites after the body was returned from Meghalaya.
According to police, the three alleged assailants – Vishal Chauhan, Akash Rajput, and Anand Kurmi – traveled by train from central India to Guwahati, Assam, and then entered Meghalaya. They met Sonam and Raja near Nongriat village on May 22, a day before the murder.
Investigators say Sonam lured her husband on a trek to the waterfall, where he was ambushed and killed. A local guide later reported seeing Sonam walking behind Raja and the three men near the site of the killing.
A key breakthrough came with the recovery of a machete-type weapon not commonly found in the region, prompting police to suspect outside involvement. Analysis of phone records revealed recent communication between Sonam and the assailants prior to the murder.
Sonam was apprehended on June 8 at a roadside eatery in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, after attempting to contact her family. She was later taken into custody by Meghalaya Police.
Indore police said Kushwaha was arrested the same day, while the three alleged accomplices were detained in separate locations across Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
Family members of the victim told police that Raja had expressed doubts about the marriage shortly before the wedding, and his mother alleged that Sonam had convinced him to carry cash and jewellery worth over ₹9 lakh ($10,800) on the trip.
A case of murder and criminal conspiracy has been registered under Indian Penal Code sections. The suspects are in police custody and are being transported to Shillong for further investigation.
