A Honeymoon Turned Horrific – Sonam’s Sinister Plot Unraveled

National News: Raja Raghuvanshi, a 29-year-old Indore businessman, embarked on a honeymoon with his wife Sonam on May 21, 2025, in Meghalaya’s scenic hills. Just days after their May 11 wedding, their romantic getaway turned into a nightmare. On May 23, Raja was brutally murdered, his body found in a gorge near Cherrapunji on June 2. Police revealed Sonam, 24, orchestrated the killing, hiring three hitmen—Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan, and Anand Kurmi—while her lover, Raj Kushwaha, coordinated from Indore. The plot, dubbed “Operation Honeymoon,” unfolded with chilling precision. Sonam enticed Raja to a solitary hill with a photoshoot ruse, where hired killers attacked hi

The Escape to Indore

After witnessing Raja’s murder, Sonam didn’t flee in panic but executed a calculated escape. On May 23, she traveled 11 kilometers from the crime scene to meet her accomplices, then boarded a train from Guwahati to Indore. By May 25, she was back in her hometown, hiding in a rented room arranged by Raj Kushwaha. The audacity of her actions stunned investigators—she spent a day with her lover, blending into normalcy while Raja’s family searched for answers. CCTV footage from Indore, spanning 42 clips, placed Sonam and her accomplices together, shattering her claims of being drugged or kidnapped. Her social media post on Raja’s account, claiming their “union for seven lives,” was a chilling cover-up attempt.

The Conspiracy Unravels

The Meghalaya Police, with Indore’s Crime Branch, pieced together the conspiracy through relentless investigation. Raj Kushwaha, a 21-year-old employee at Sonam’s family’s plywood factory, confessed that Sonam promised to marry him after becoming a widow. She allegedly planned to disguise the murder as a robbery, destroying her phone to erase evidence. Sonam surrendered on June 8 at Nandganj Police Station in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, claiming she was unaware of how she reached there. Her father, Devi Singh, insists she’s innocent, but Raja’s brother Vipin alleges more than five people were involved, demanding justice. The arrested hitmen, all in their early 20s, had no prior criminal records, making the plot even more sinister.

A Nation in Shock

The case has gripped India, with public outrage fueled by Kangana Ranaut’s scathing remarks, calling Sonam’s actions “cruel, heinous, and absurd.” Raja’s mother, Uma, heartbroken, revealed Sonam’s detached behavior post-marriage and her insistence on the Meghalaya trip. Sonam's betrayal of Raja's trust led to his tragic demise, with ₹9 lakh meant for bookings being allegedly used to fund the murder plot. The Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Conrad Sangma, has vowed to ensure a speedy trial. This heinous crime has left the nation demanding answers about the darker side of human nature.