UP cop says 'poor planner' Sonam Raghuvanshi presented herself as victim: 'Claimed she was drugged'

Raja Raghuvanshi murder: The police on Monday arrested Sonam Raghuvanshi and her four accomplices, including her alleged extramarital lover, Raj Kushwaha.

Updated on: Jun 10, 2025, 08:27:42 IST

By HT News Desk

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Sonam Raghuvanshi, a Madhya Pradesh native accused of hatching a plot to murder her husband Raja Raghuvanshi during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, allegedly attempted to mislead the Uttar Pradesh police by claiming that she had been brought to Ghazipur after being drugged.

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, on Monday. (PTI)

UP Police's additional DGP Amitabh Yash described Sonam Raghuvanshi as a "poor planner", saying she tried to present herself before the police as a victim, days after allegedly killing her husband. He said the accused made the claim because she wasn't aware of the police's procedures.

The police on Monday arrested Sonam Raghuvanshi and her four accomplices, including her alleged extramarital lover, Raj Kushwaha.

"Sonam presented herself as a victim before the police, claiming she was drugged and brought to Ghazipur. She informed her family about this, knowing the police would eventually reach her. Around 3 am on Monday, she told her family that she was at a dhaba on the Ghazipur-Varanasi road. Her family immediately contacted the Madhya Pradesh police, who informed the local police, leading to Sonam's arrest. She was sent for a medical checkup and then to a One-Stop Centre," he told NDTV.

At the one-stop centre in Ghazipur, where Sonam was temporarily lodged on Monday, staffers said she rejected the allegations of murder, reported HT.

"After she woke up later in the afternoon, she said she was kidnapped and said she did not kill anyone,” said a staffer, requesting anonymity.

Also read: Murder in Meghalaya: Wife,lover hatched plot, say cops

Meghalaya honeymoon murder

Sonam and Raja Raghuvanshi disappeared in Meghalaya on May 23. On June 2, Raja was found murdered near a gorge, but Sonam remained missing until she mysteriously resurfaced in UP's Ghazipur on Monday.

Also read: Did Sonam Raghuvanshi have an affair with Raj Kushwaha? Meghalaya police respond

The Meghalaya police have indicated that the affair might have led to the murder. They said Sonam surrendered only after Raj Kushwaha was arrested.

The senior UP officer said Sonam had thought she would escape justice if she posed as a victim.

"Sonam is a poor planner. She lacked knowledge of police procedures and thought she could escape by posing as a victim, but she failed," he added.

The victim's family claimed Sonam had booked only a one-way ticket to Meghalaya, indicating her alleged intention to never return. Vipul Raghuvanshi, Raja's brother, said Raj Kushwaha was her employee and she would regularly speak to him over the phone.

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