In a dramatic twist to a chilling murder case that has shocked three Indian states, 24-year-old Sonam Raghuvanshi from Indore has denied involvement in the killing of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, during their honeymoon in Meghalaya. She was located and detained from a roadside eatery in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, days after her disappearance. For the unversed, Sonam had previously admitted to killing her husband under police pressure in a report by IANS.
Sonam Raghuvanshi Arrested For Killing Husband
Police arrested Sonam on Monday evening at ‘Kashi Dhaba’ along the Varanasi-Ghazipur highway. Ghazipur’s Superintendent of Police, Iraz Raja, confirmed the arrest and stated that Sonam was first taken to the local hospital for medical attention and then placed in a shelter offering legal and psychological support for women in crisis.
According to staff at the shelter, Sonam initially appeared disoriented but later told them she had been kidnapped and insisted she had no part in her husband’s murder. Her statement contradicted police findings from Meghalaya, where Raja’s body was recovered from a gorge near Weisawdong Falls in the East Khasi Hills on June 2.
Raja and Sonam, who had been married for just under two weeks, had travelled to Meghalaya for their honeymoon and went missing on May 23, the same day they checked out of a homestay in Nongriat village. The discovery of Raja’s decomposed body, later identified by a tattoo on his hand, led to a statewide manhunt.
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Meghalaya Director General of Police I Nongrang, alleged that Sonam had planned the murder and arranged for three men, Raj Singh Kushwaha (21), Akash Rajput (19), and Vishal Singh Chauhan (22), to carry it out. All three were apprehended in coordinated overnight operations across Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Law enforcement officials from the East Khasi Hills confirmed that the accused men were sent to Meghalaya on a seven-day transit remand. Sonam’s transfer to Meghalaya is currently underway, following her detention in Ghazipur.
Sonam’s family has publicly defended her, saying they believe she is being falsely implicated. Sonam Raghuvanshi’s father also revealed that the couple had married with full family approval and stressed that Sonam would never commit such a crime. Alongside Raja’s body, police recovered several personal items, including a woman’s shirt, a smartwatch, a broken phone screen, and medication.
Also Read: Shocking! Sonam Raghuvanshi Confesses To Murdering Husband On Meghalaya Honeymoon Trip