News Desk – In a shocking case from Meghalaya, the police have solved the murder of a man named Raja Raghuvanshi, who was killed during his honeymoon. The case was cracked with the help of a simple clue—a mangalsutra and a ring left behind by his wife, Sonam.
Raja (29) and Sonam (25), a newly married couple from Indore, had tied the knot on May 11, 2025. They travelled to Meghalaya for their honeymoon on May 20, after arriving in Guwahati, Assam.
On May 22, they arrived at a homestay in Sohra, Meghalaya, but didn’t have a room booking. Since they planned to trek to Nongriat village to see the famous double-decker root bridge, they left their suitcase at the Sohra homestay, as it would have been difficult to carry it down the 3,000 steps.
They spent the night at a homestay in Nongriat and checked out early on May 23. That same day, both Sonam and Raja went missing.
On June 2, Raja’s body was found in a gorge near Weisawdong Falls. Meanwhile, the police found a mangalsutra and a ring inside the suitcase the couple had left at the Sohra homestay. This sacred necklace, which married Hindu women wear to symbolize their marriage, gave the police an important clue.
According to Meghalaya DGP I Nongrang, a married woman leaving behind her mangalsutra was unusual and suspicious. This helped police suspect Sonam’s involvement in the case.
Sonam reappeared in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, around 1,200 km away, on June 9, and surrendered to the police. She was arrested along with her boyfriend, Raj Kushwaha, and three contract killers whom they had hired to murder Raja.
Investigators said that Raja was killed in front of Sonam at Weisawdong Falls by the hired killers.
A tour guide had earlier told police that he saw the couple with three Hindi-speaking men while they were climbing back from Nongriat to Sohra. This matched the timeline and the suspects.
All five accused—Sonam, Raj Kushwaha, and the three hitmen—have been sent to eight-day police custody by a Shillong court. Police say the accused have confessed to the crime, and the evidence is strong.
