...
...
Next Story

Meghalaya Honeymoon Murder: Crime scene recreation likely on Tuesday

Raghuvanshi and his wife had gone missing while vacationing in Sohra area in the East Khasi Hills district on May 23.

Published on: Jun 16, 2025, 18:56:36 IST
Advertisement

Guwahati: The Meghalaya Police, which is probing the murder of Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, is expected to take all the five accused in the case including his wife Sonam to the spot where the former was killed to recreate the crime scene.

Sonam Raghuvanshi, the Indore woman accused of plotting her husband's murder during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, being brought for medical examination at a hospital, in Ghazipur earlier this month. (PTI)
Sonam Raghuvanshi, the Indore woman accused of plotting her husband's murder during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, being brought for medical examination at a hospital, in Ghazipur earlier this month. (PTI)

I Nongrang, Meghalaya's director general of police (DGP) told journalists in Shillong on Monday that recreation of the crime scene, by taking all the accused to the murder spot, Wei Sawdong Falls in Sohra, around 50 km away from the state capital, is likely to take place on Tuesday.

The fiver persons arrested in the case are Sonam Raghuvanshi and four men, including Raj Kushwaha, Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan, and Anand Kurmi.

"Investigation is going on and a lot of loose ends are being tied up. We are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the investigation is fool-proof. We do have a very solid case. We do have enough evidence and we are hoping to complete investigation and the case is charge sheeted within the mandated time," she said.

She said the police is expected to seek an extension of their custody, after the ongoing custody period ends tomorrow, for a few more days to continue the interrogation and take the investigation ahead.

Nongrang said that while the love triangle involving Raja, Sonam and her alleged boyfriend Raj Kushwaha seems to be the prime motive behind the murder, there could be other motives.

Raghuvanshi and his wife went missing while vacationing in Sohra area in the East Khasi Hills district on May 23. A scooter that the couple had hired from Shillong was found there on May 24 and a missing complaint was lodged by Raja’s family.

Raghuvanshi's body was found in a gorge near Weisawdong Falls on June 2. A gold ring and a neck chain were missing from his body.

A day later, a bloodstained machete was found nearby, and two days later, a raincoat that was similar to the one used by the couple was found in Mawkma village, halfway between Sohrarim and the gorge where Raghuvanshi's body was found.

Investigations revealed that Kushwaha allegedly hired his friends Vishal Thakur, Anand Kurmi and Akash Thakur to murder her husband. A sum of 50,000 was paid to them as expenses during their trip to Meghalaya.

Police arrested all the accused on June 8-9 from different locations in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. They were brought to Shillong on June 10 and produced in a court the next day, which sent all of them to police custody for eight days.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar

A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.

Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather and major national developments.
Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather and major national developments.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Hindustantimes wants to start sending you push notifications. Click allow to subscribe