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Meghalaya honeymoon murder: Who destroyed Sonam Raghuvanshi's 'secret' box? 2 arrested

Meghalaya honeymoon murder: Sonam Raghuvanshi and her alleged lover, Raj Kushwah, are accused of hatching a plot to kill her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi.

Updated on: Jun 23, 2025, 04:44:39 IST
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The Meghalaya police have arrested two men in connection with the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi, who was allegedly murdered by his wife and her paramour during their honeymoon last month. With the fresh arrests, the total number of people held for the crime has reached seven.

Meghalaya SIT team and FSL Indore, collect the pieces of the burnt bag and burnt pieces of Sonam Raghuvanshi's belongings for forensic investigation, at Hare Krishna Vihar Colony in Indore. (ANI)
Meghalaya SIT team and FSL Indore, collect the pieces of the burnt bag and burnt pieces of Sonam Raghuvanshi's belongings for forensic investigation, at Hare Krishna Vihar Colony in Indore. (ANI)

Sonam Raghuvanshi and her alleged lover, Raj Kushwah, are accused of hatching a plot to kill her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi. They hired three hitmen to murder him during his honeymoon with Sonam, days after their marriage.

An Indore court has given the Meghalaya police seven-day transit remand of a property dealer and a security guard.

According to the police, the property dealer had concealed Sonam Raghuvanshi's box in a flat in Indore last month.

"Meghalaya Police SIT arrested one Silome James from Bhonrasa toll-gate in Dewas district of Madhya Pradesh while he was trying to flee to Bhopal around 7.30 pm on Saturday. He is a property dealer and lessee of a building at Heera Bagh Colony in Indore, where Sonam had stayed and kept the jewellery and other items she took with her after the incident," East Khasi Hills district SP Vivek Syiem told PTI.

Also read: Raja Raghuvanshi's brother's big question: ‘Instead of murder, Sonam, Raj Kushwaha could have...’

Later, the SIT nabbed a security guard, identified as Balla Ahirwar, from his native village in Ashok Nagar district of Madhya Pradesh around 2 am on Sunday. He was posted at the property.

He had burnt the items in the box. The box had key evidence linked to the murder, according to sources.

A member of the SIT told the news agency that Sonam's boyfriend, Raj Kushwaha, had concealed a gun in the box. There was also jewellery and a laptop.

Also read: Raja Raghuvanshi's mother's four questions for Sonam as she breaks down: ‘Why did she…?'

At the site where James had burnt the box, there were no signs of the pistol, laptop or any of the jewellery belonging to Raja, he said, adding that a forensic team had also visited the spot and collected all available evidence.

Sonam stayed in the flat for several days on return from Meghalaya, before eventually surrendering to police in UP on June 8.

Raj Kushwaha was an employee of Sonam Raghuvanshi's father. He had an affair with Sonam.

The family of the victim said on Saturday that they were unclear why Raj Kushwah and Sonam killed Raja Raghuvanshi, as they could have easily eloped.

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