“Forced Marriage?” Netizens react to viral video, say Sonam looked unhappy during wedding ritual

New developments in the Raja Raghuvanshi death case have emerged as a video, now widely circulated on social media, allegedly shows Raja and his wife, Sonam, during a wedding ceremony.

In the clip, a man believed to be Raja Raghuvanshi is seen applying sindoor (vermilion) to the forehead of a woman, who social media users identify as Sonam. A third person, seemingly a priest, is also present, conducting the ceremony as the couple performs the ritual.

The video has sparked strong reactions online, with many users focusing on the woman's expression. Several claimed that Sonam Raghuvanshi appeared visibly unhappy during the ceremony.



One user even remarked that families should conduct thorough background checks before proceeding with marriage arrangements.

A user said,"Sonam and his family are fully responsible for this murder....they forcefully make this happen and then see now get results."

May 11 – Wedding in Indore
Raja Raghuvanshi (29), a transporter from Indore, married 27-year-old Sonam Raghuvanshi in their hometown.

May 20 – Honeymoon begins
Shortly after their wedding, the newlyweds flew to Meghalaya for their honeymoon.

May 21 – Arrival in Shillong
The couple checked into the Balaji Guest House on their first evening in Shillong.

May 22 – Trip to Sohra and Nongriat
They reached Mawlakhiyat, parked their rented scooter, and descended more than 3,000 steps to visit the iconic living root bridges. On May 24, their scooter was found abandoned near a café. Search operations were initially hampered by heavy rainfall.

May 23 – Last seen with three men
The couple checked out of their homestay and began their uphill trek back—without a guide. Around 10 a.m., local resident Albert Pde saw them with three men speaking Hindi. This marked the final sighting of Raja.

May 24 – Scooter discovery
The village head of Sohrarim reported an abandoned scooter to local police. It was traced back to the missing couple.

May 25 – Confirmed ownership
Police confirmed that the scooter had been rented by Raja and Sonam, intensifying the search efforts.

June 2 – Raja’s body recovered
Family and friends were hoping for communication issues—but their fears were confirmed when Raja’s decomposed body was found near Wei Sawdong Falls, roughly 20 km from where he was last seen. A dao (machete), mobile phone, and blood-stained raincoat were recovered near the body.

June 4 – Final rites in Indore
Raja’s body was returned to his Sahakar Nagar residence in Indore. Friends, neighbors, and even strangers gathered in grief. A large banner outside the house demanded a CBI investigation, with the words:

June 3–7 – Leads surface
Investigators gathered eyewitness accounts and CCTV footage from May 22. Albert, a rejected guide, provided key testimony—stating he saw the couple with three non-local Hindi-speaking men during their climb back from Nongriat.

June 9 – Arrests and major breakthrough
Sonam Raghuvanshi surrendered in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh. Meghalaya Police, with help from other states, arrested three suspects in overnight raids. They are accused of carrying out Raja’s murder at Sonam’s behest.