Over the past few years, India has experienced a marked increase in the heinous murders of newlywed couples or married individuals more broadly, with the underlying motivations for these ruthless acts predominantly linked to infidelity. The sanctity of marriage is being replaced by a chilling pattern of coercion and brutality. Once seen as a safe, family-vetted route to companionship and stability, it has increasingly become the pool of violence, betrayal, and, in extreme cases, cold-blooded murder.
Tragic Timeline and Background
The Indore newlywed couple married on 11th May 2025 and left for Meghalaya on 20th May for their honeymoon. The couple arrived at Mawlkhaith village near Sohra and trekked. The following morning, subsequent to their departure from the homestay, no further sightings of the couple were reported after they vacated Nongrait, and all communication was severed on the 23rd of May. The family filed a missing report after failing to contact them.
As the recent headline continues to surface, something far more harrowing of a newlywed, Raja Raghuvanshi (29), who was murdered during his honeymoon in Meghalaya, which was meant to represent a promising new beginning as a young newly married couple. However, the situation took a chilling turn for Raja when the meticulously devised plan he believed he had in place revealed an unforeseen ulterior motive. From the sweltering summer of Madhya Pradesh to the ethereal hills of Shillong, this trip was intended to be a romantic escapade for the newlyweds. Instead, all his dreams evaporated, along with his life, barely a week into their honeymoon.
Days after the disappearance of Raja Raghuvanshi, his body was found in late May near Weisawdong waterfall in Sohra with multiple wounds; he was brutally murdered. He was positively identified via a tattoo. Sonam (25) also vanishes without a trace. The couple was last observed in the vicinity hours after departing from a homestay in the village of Nongriat in Cherrapunji. His death is being investigated as a suspected homicide, prompting the Meghalaya police to establish a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to inquire into the case. In the initial phase, it was treated as a potential accident or abduction.
Discovery and Evidence
With each passing hour, the atmosphere thickened with anticipation, the lines between betrayal and loyalty blurring ominously as the investigation unfolded, revealing a chilling truth that could shatter lives forever. The meticulous effort of the police operation in different states. The emotional gravity of the situation weighed heavily on the shoulders of the investigators, who could not help but feel the presence of heartbreak and despair surrounding the missing couple.
The 26-year-old Raja Raghuvanshi, who was thought to have gone missing along with his wife during a trip in Shillong, was not a case of disappearance or accident but a planned execution by his wife, Sonam, who took advantage of her husband’s gullibility in the guise of a honeymoon in Shillong and orchestrated the cold murder plan with her secret lover and hired killers. When Raja’s body was found, it alerted the state police, and they meticulously started a search operation for Sonam, as they believed the murder was premeditated. Along with the body, the authorities also found a blood-stained machete, a mobile phone, and a raincoat at the scene. The autopsy confirmed multiple sharp wounds to the head and throat.
Disturbing Motive and Plot
Meghalaya police have alleged that Sonam orchestrated the hiring of three men—Vishal Singh Chauhan, Akash Rajput, and Anand Kurmi—along with her boyfriend, Raj Kushwala, to perpetrate the murder of Raja, citing a premarital affair as the motive. She reportedly pledged an initial sum of four lakhs, subsequently augmenting it to twenty lakhs, and even assisted in transporting his body into the gorge, according to media reports. According to the police in Meghalaya, Sonam was engaged in an extramarital affair and sought to eliminate Raja. Consequently, she conspired with her paramour, Raj Kushwaha, who ultimately surrendered under duress on June 8; both individuals were subsequently apprehended.
Despite her romantic partner, Kushwaha, not venturing to Shillong, police sources revealed to the media that he played a crucial role in the strategic planning behind the scenes and maintained contact with Sonam. Both newly married couples went on a trek on May 23, when the hitmen followed them. At a certain moment, Sonam pretended to be exhausted and intentionally trailed behind her spouse and the perpetrators, as reported. However, after the trek, the hitmen refused to kill Raja, as they were complaining that they were tired, leading Sonam to allegedly raise the offer to twenty lakhs. On the pretext of visiting Kamakhya Temple, Sonam convinced Raja to postpone consummating the marriage until after a visit to the temple in Guwahati.
Arrest and Family reaction
Sonam surrendered in Ghazipur on June 8 and is now in Meghalaya’s custody. Police have arrested all four suspects across Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Authorities recovered CCTV footage and witness statements, including those of a local guide, and tracked bank transfers for the hitmen believed to have passed through Sonam’s relative’s account. SIT is handling the probe under NCW oversight. Raja’s brother, Vipin Raguwanshi, demands a CBI investigation; the family of the victim, however, extends their apologies as the murder case tarnishes Meghalaya’s reputation and expresses gratitude towards its government for support. Nevertheless, Sonam’s brother is determined to ensure that if Sonam is indeed guilty, she will face appropriate repercussions, consistently pursuing the path to justice.
The Meghalaya honeymoon murder is not just a spine-chilling tragedy; it is an indictment of how romantic rituals can be manipulated into lethal schemes. When a vacation spot becomes a crime scene, leading to the emergence of disquieting inquiries among the Indian populace regarding the extent of cruelty exhibited by a woman, this case has ascended to the forefront of news on both television and social media platforms. It has inadvertently cast aspersions on the innocent residents of Meghalaya, with some attributing blame to tribal factions and disseminating falsehoods about the locale and its inhabitants. This has also prompted a critical examination of the authorities, inciting unrest across various corners of the nation.
