What began as a romantic honeymoon to Meghalaya’s Sohra region for Indore's Raja Raghuvanshi, suddenly took a chilling turn, leading to a multi-state investigation of his murder that resulted in the arrest of four men and the dramatic surrender of his "disappeared" wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi.
Sonam Raghuvanshi surrendered in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur, while three assassins she allegedly hired to kill her late husband have been arrested. She will be handed over to the Meghalaya Police, which is expected to arrive in Ghazipur on Monday.
On May 23, Raja and Sonam, just days into their marriage, vanished while exploring the East Khasi Hills in Meghalaya. Their rented scooter was later found abandoned near a café on the Shillong-Sohra road, triggering a frantic search.
On June 2, Raja's body was discovered in a deep gorge near Weisawdong Falls.
How did Sonam's arrest take place?
Sonam Raghuvanshi was traced to a roadside restaurant at Nandganj in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur at 1 am on Monday. An Uttar Pradesh Police officer said Sonam identified herself at a centre for women in distress after she was found and rushed to a hospital.
ADG (Law & Order), UP Police, Amitabh Yash, said Sonam informed her family that she was present at a dhaba near Ghazipur. Her family passed this information to the Indore Police, who immediately contacted the UP Police.
{{/usCountry}}ADG (Law & Order), UP Police, Amitabh Yash, said Sonam informed her family that she was present at a dhaba near Ghazipur. Her family passed this information to the Indore Police, who immediately contacted the UP Police.
{{/usCountry}}“Ghazipur Police located Sonam at the dhaba [identified as Kashi Dhaba]. She was taken for medical examination to Sadar Hospital and then sent to the One Stop Centre,” ADG Yash said.
Speaking to PTI, she said the wife, Sonam, surrendered before the Nandganj Police Station in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur, while three other involved were arrested in overnight raids in UP and Madhya Pradesh's Indore.
People aware of the matter said Sonam did not say much when a senior police officer visited the centre and tried to speak to her.
Sahil Yadav, owner of Kashi Dhaba, where UP Police found Sonam Raghuvanshi late last night, said, “Sonam came here around 1 am. She wanted my phone to call her family members, and I gave it to her. She started crying when she called her family. I took my phone from her and gave them the details about Sonam's location. She was not mentally fine. After some time, her brother called me and asked me to inform the local police. Police arrived here and took her around 2:30 am. Sonam was alone; I gave her water...”
Sonam's alleged 'extra-marital affair' angle
Indore’s additional deputy police commissioner Rajesh Dandotiya said Sonam, 25, was allegedly in a relationship with Raja Kushwaha.
Kushwaha allegedly hired Vishal Chauhan, Anand Kumar, and Akash Rajput to kill Raja Raghuvanshi.
Dandotiya said that Sonam, who was traced to Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh on Monday, supported the plan and shared their location with the three assassins.
Alleged boyfriend arrested
Dandotiya also said that a Meghalaya Police team arrived in Indore on Sunday and arrested Kushwaha and Chauhan, as reported by Hindustan Times earlier. Kumar was arrested in Sagar (also in Madhya Pradesh) while Rajput remained on the run.
Investigators said Kushwaha worked at a tiles distribution company of Sonam’s brother. They added that the Meghalaya Police tracked the accused using the call details of Sonam, who was in regular touch with Kushwaha.
Meanwhile, as per East Khasi Hills SP Vivek Syiem, all arrested men confessed that Sonam was the mastermind behind the plot.
Surveillance footage and eyewitness accounts helped stitch together the events of May 23.
Sonam's family react
Sonam’s father, Devi Singh, expressed disbelief over his daughter’s alleged involvement in the murder. “My daughter cannot kill anyone. I do not trust Meghalaya Police. I still demand a CBI [Central Bureau of Investigation] inquiry into the matter.”