Honeymoon murder: Wife admits to plotting husband’s killing in Meghalaya

Shillong: Sonam Raghuvanshi, the prime accused in the high-profile murder of her husband Raja Raghuvanshi during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, has confessed to her role in the crime during interrogation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), sources confirmed on Wednesday.

Her confession, formally recorded in the presence of Meghalaya Police officials, confirms her direct involvement in what investigators are calling a premeditated murder.

Sonam, along with her alleged boyfriend Raj Kushwaha and three others — Anand Kurmi, Akash Rajput, and Vishal Singh Chauhan — will be presented before a Shillong court. According to police, the three alleged contract killers — Akash, Anand, and Vikash — travelled separately from Indore to Shillong in staggered phases to avoid attracting suspicion.

Authorities were able to trace their movements using CCTV footage, train bookings, and Aadhaar card photocopies, which helped confirm their identities and route to Meghalaya.

Investigations revealed that on May 23, the killers joined the couple during a trek, posing as fellow tourists. A local guide, Albert Pde, told police he had offered assistance to the group but was turned down. He noted that the group conversed in Hindi and deliberately chose a secluded and rugged trail, avoiding the more frequented Double Decker Living Root Bridge area.

Sonam was arrested after surrendering at the Nandganj police station in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur district in the early hours of Monday. Her surrender came amid intense pressure from a coordinated, multi-state police operation involving forces from Meghalaya, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.

According to the police, Sonam masterminded the plan and hired contract killers to execute the murder during the couple’s honeymoon. The other accused were arrested during a series of raids across Madhya Pradesh.

With IANS inputs