Investigators reveal Sonam Raghuvanshi paid ₹15,000 from Raja’s wallet to hired killers, promising a total of ₹20 lakh. As she’s brought to Shillong, police plan to recreate the horrific murder scene in Sohra, shedding light on the pre-planned plot.
BY PC Bureau
The primary accused in the murder of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, Sonam Raghuvanshi, was brought to Shillong on Tuesday night under tight security. Her arrival in Meghalaya follows her surrender on the Varanasi-Ghazipur Highway in Uttar Pradesh on June 8. She was immediately taken to Shillong Sadar Police Station for processing and a medical examination at Ganesh Das Hospital.
Police officials revealed that Sonam largely remained silent during her transit, which involved a flight from Patna to Kolkata, then to Guwahati, and finally a road journey to Shillong. She is currently held under transit remand in Shillong, where she will be interrogated and remain in custody, with no indication of a return to Sohra since the initial incident.
Meghalaya Police are preparing to take Sonam Raghuvanshi and three other accused back to Sohra to reconstruct the murder of Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi. Investigators state that Sonam promised the killers ₹20 lakh and, chillingly, paid an initial ₹15,000 in cash directly from her husband’s wallet. While the exact figures are pending police verification, reports suggest the initial offer was ₹4 lakh, later increased to ₹20 lakh. The three accused were reportedly hired after meeting the couple in Bengaluru, from where they all traveled to Meghalaya.
Listen to audio: The innocent sounding woman Sonam Raghuvanshi had spoken this when she actually had hired contract killers to kill her newly wed husband Raja.
The ultra traditional posturing was an alarm which MRAs picked.
Why did she get married to him?
To kill?#IndoreCouple https://t.co/JAAYPBODaJ— Amit Deshpande (@amitdeshmra) June 9, 2025
Sonam Paid Hitman from Raja’s Wallet, Brought to Shillong
READ: Honeymoon Horror: Sohra Mourns Raja, Seeks Media Apology
Sonam and Raja Raghuvanshi, who married on May 11, arrived in Meghalaya for their honeymoon on May 20. Raja’s family last spoke to the couple on May 23. A rented scooter was found abandoned on May 24, leading to an intensified search. On June 2, Raja’s decomposed body was discovered in a gorge near Wei Sawdong Falls in Sohra, missing a gold chain and finger ring. Sonam remained elusive until her surrender in Ghazipur on June 9, after calling her brother, who then informed the police.
Alongside Sonam, Akash Rajput (19), Vishal Singh Chauhan (22), and Anand Kurmi have been arrested. A fourth accused, Raj Kushwaha, alleged to be Sonam Raghuvanshi’s lover and the mastermind behind the plot, was arrested from Madhya Pradesh. Police believe Sonam and Kushwaha began planning Raja’s murder even before their wedding, with Kushwaha directing operations remotely. Raja’s family claims they saw Raj Kushwaha at their Indore home after Raja’s body arrived. Some reports also suggest the three arrested accused were friends of Raj Kushwaha, rather than professional contract killers.
1s video after arrest
Sonam, who fled 1200 KM from Shillong & reached Ghazipur, UP is sitting silently at a dhaba. Meghalaya Police claims that #Sonam got her husband Raja Raghuvanshi killed in Shillong. Her alleged boyfriend Raj Kushwaha is involved in this.#SonamRaghuvanshi pic.twitter.com/k7kCmTRBRl
— Saif Ali Khan (@saifalikhan067) June 9, 2025
READ: Special Story: Why the Delay? CBI’s Fast Northeast Lane Ends in Manipur
Police have secured a three-day transit remand for Sonam and are continuing their investigation. They plan to take all accused back to the site near the waterfall in Sohra where Raja’s body was recovered. The FIR indicates Raja was killed with a dao, and his wallet and valuables were taken. The investigation further suggests the accused posed as tourists and tracked the newlyweds from Guwahati to Shillong, even staying close to their hotel. After the murder, Sonam reportedly fled to Indore by train on May 24, staying in a flat arranged by Kushwaha before moving to a hideout in Uttar Pradesh for over two weeks. On Tuesday, Shillong Police and Indore Crime Branch recovered clothes believed to be worn by Vishal Singh Chauhan on the day of the murder from his home.
What Happened So Far:
- May 23, 2025: Sonam and Raja went missing near Sohra during their honeymoon. Raja’s body was later found in a gorge under Wei Sawdong Falls.
- Early June: Search teams found a stained raincoat near Sohra, but Sonam remained missing.
- June 9, 2025: Sonam surrendered in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, and was arrested. Meghalaya police allege she hired contract killers to murder Raja.
- June 10, 2025: Meghalaya police produced her in Patna (Phulwari Sharif) under transit remand; she is to be sent to Shillong for further custody.
