In a chilling twist to what was supposed to be a romantic honeymoon, a newlywed couple's trip to Shillong turned into a murder mystery. Raja Raghuvanshi from Indore had gone to Meghalaya's capital with his wife Sonam to celebrate their marriage -- unaware that death awaited him there. Shockingly, the mastermind behind the murder was allegedly none other than his own wife, Sonam.
According to police, Sonam carefully planned her husband's killing and executed the plan with the help of three accomplices, all of whom have now been arrested. After allegedly orchestrating Raja's murder, Sonam surfaced on Monday in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur, where she surrendered to the police.
Wedding photos reveal Sonam's 'discomfort'
The clues to Sonam's mindset may have been visible all along as photos and videos from the wedding paint a telling picture — while Raja appears joyous and cheerful during the rituals, Sonam looks visibly distant and unhappy. Her lack of expression during key moments, including the sindoor ceremony, has now raised eyebrows among her relatives too, many of whom admit they never realised she was reluctant about the marriage.
Sonam's expression in wedding video strengthens murder suspicion
The video clips from the wedding further reinforce this stark contrast. While the groom appears to be beaming with happiness, Sonam is barely seen smiling. Police say this visual evidence is now playing a key role in piecing together the motive.
What did East Khasi Hills SP say?
Sonam's surrender seems to have opened the floodgates on this case. Speaking on the matter, East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem said, "Last night, after Raj Kushwaha and others were arrested, Sonam suddenly showed up. That in itself speaks volumes. Our team is en route to bring her on transit remand. Yes, it appears she had a lover. Two teams from Meghalaya Police are already in Madhya Pradesh, while another is on its way to UP to bring Sonam back." He added that Sonam had reached out to her relatives only after the arrests were made.
What is the case?
After their marriage on May 11, the couple left for Meghalaya on May 20 for their honeymoon. They arrived at Mawlakhiat village on May 22 on a rented scooter. On May 24, their scooter was found abandoned at a cafe along the road from Shillong to Sohra, following which the search for them began.
Raghuvanshi's body was found in a gorge near Weisawdong Falls. A gold ring and a neck chain were found missing from his body, further leading to suspicion that he was murdered. A day later, a bloodstained machete was found nearby, and two days later, a raincoat that was similar to the one used by the couple was found in Mawkma village, halfway between Sohrarim and the gorge where Raghuvanshi's body was found.