Meghalaya honeymoon murder: Raja was killed in Sonam's presence, says chargesheet

The chargesheet filed by the Meghalaya police on Saturday (September 6) in the murder of Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi has alleged that he was killed in the presence of his wife Sonam.

The police allege that Sonam entered into a criminal conspiracy with Raj Kushwaha, a person she was in a romantic relationship with, to murder her husband Raja Raghuvanshi during their honeymoon in Meghalaya. Sonam and Raj allegedly hired three hitmen to commit the murder.

The chargesheet, filed before the Judicial Magistrate First Class, Sohra Sub-Division Court in Meghalaya, gives details about the alleged conspiracy and the murder of the 29-year-old businessman.

Accused arrested

Five people, including Sonam and Raj, were arrested by the Meghalaya police from Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh during the second week of June a few days after the victim’s body was found in a gorge below the Wei Sawdong waterfalls in Sohra.

The three hitmen accused of the murder who were arrested are Vishal Singh Chauhan, Aanand Kurmi, and Aakash Singh Rajput. The police later arrested three more men for allegedly destroying evidence.

Also Read: Honeymoon murder case: Meghalaya cops seize key evidence during Indore raid

The accused have been charged under Sections 103(1), 238(a), and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and the Indian Justice Code, 2023.

Reconstruction of the crime

The police, reconstructing the crime, said the victim Raja was first struck with a machete (called “dao” by the locals) by one of the hitmen Chauhan, allegedly in the presence of Raja’s wife Sonam. She fled from the scene when Raja began to bleed and scream.

Sonam reportedly returned to the scene of the crime after her husband died.

Also Read: Meghalaya honeymoon murder: Police arrest owner of Indore flat where Sonam stayed

A second machete and a white shirt the police think was worn by another hitman were found in the gorge near Raja’s dead body.

The police said they also have CCTV footage of the couple and testimonies of several people, including a guide who saw the accused together. They said they also recovered Sonam’s mangalsutra and a toe ring from the hotel where they had left their bags, and this raised suspicion in the minds of the police.

Police statement

The Meghalaya police in a statement said that after conducting a thorough investigation, including collecting and collating all the evidence, it is conclusively proved that Sonam Raghuvanshi was in a relationship with Raj Kushwaha and a criminal conspiracy was hatched by both of them and the three assailants to murder Raja Raghuvanshi under the pretext of a honeymoon to Sohra.

Also Read: Meghalaya honeymoon murder: Indore property dealer held for concealing evidence

The case was initially treated as a missing persons case when Raja and Sonam went missing on May 23 this year while travelling in the area during their honeymoon. It was only after Raja’s body was found with two sharp cuts to his head that it turned into a murder investigation.