Meghalaya Murder Case: MBA dreams, a marriage made to deceive and a honeymoon murder

Sonam Raghuvanshi, the woman now at the centre of the high-profile Meghalaya honeymoon murder case, once aspired to pursue an MBA after completing her graduation. According to her family, she had been preparing for higher studies but was asked to set aside her ambitions. Instead of working outside, she was encouraged to support her brother Govind in managing the family’s plywood business.

It was within this setting that Sonam is believed to have met Raj Kushwaha, now accused of conspiring with her to kill her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, just days after their wedding. Raj was working in the firm’s accounts and billing department. According to police, he maintained a calm appearance while allegedly plotting the crime in secrecy.

Trusted insider turned alleged mastermind

During the couple’s trip to Meghalaya, Raja’s elder brother, Vipin, began to feel something was off. Vipin, who had accompanied Govind, noticed repeated calls between Govind and Raj. “Govind kept saying, ‘I’ve left everything to you, please manage the business while I’m away in Shillong,’” Vipin recalled. He now believes Govind had no idea about Raj’s alleged role. “None of us did.”

Even days before the crime surfaced, Raj had reportedly visited Sonam’s family, interacting normally. “He came over and chatted with everyone,” said Sonam’s father, Devi Singh. “We had no idea he might have been with Sonam or involved in this at all.”

Investigators now say Raj coordinated the entire plan remotely, instructing his three childhood friends — Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan, and Anand Kurmi — to travel to Meghalaya and carry out the murder. He remained behind, directing the operation from afar.

For the family, the sense of betrayal is deep. Raj had been part of their inner circle, trusted with business and personal matters — all while allegedly being central to a planned killing.

Adding to the shock is that Sonam had agreed to the marriage willingly, her father said. “When we discussed the proposal, I asked her clearly if she liked someone else,” he recalled. “She said no and told me she would marry whoever I chose. She even asked her friend to tell me not to raise the question again.”

What seemed like a traditional marriage between two families has now become a grim story of deception and betrayal, unraveling with each new layer of the investigation.


(With TOI inputs)