‘See what I’ll do to him...’ Sonam allegedly threatened mother before honeymoon murder

Shillong: Sonam Raghuvanshi, who was reportedly in love with Raj Kushwaha, had cautioned her family of dire outcomes if she was forced into marrying Raja Raghuvanshi.

According to police sources, Raja's elder brother, Vipin, stated that Sonam had informed her mother about her relationship with Raj.

Raj was employed at the family-run business, where Sonam also oversaw operations. However, her mother disapproved of the match and convinced her daughter to marry within their community.

“Vipin said Sonam had already informed her mother about her affair with Raj. She said she did not want to marry Raja. Her mother, however, objected to the relationship (with Raj) and persuaded her to marry within the society,” a source informed.

The same source further revealed, “Vipin alleged that Sonam agreed to compromise and marry Raja but warned of consequences. She said ‘you will see what I do to that person. You all will have to bear the consequences’. No one thought she would kill Raja.”

Background of the story

The horrifying details of the case came to light as it was initially registered as that of a missing couple during their honeymoon in Meghalaya.

Sonam and Raja had disappeared on 23 May after checking out from a homestay in Nongriat village. On 2 June, Raja’s body was discovered 20 km away.

Investigations revealed that Sonam, 24, and Raja, 29, had married on 11 May in Indore, despite her ongoing relationship with Raj, who worked as an accountant at the family’s furniture sheet business. Following their wedding, the couple travelled to Meghalaya for their honeymoon, where the gruesome crime occurred.

Planned murder and aftermath

According to Vipin’s account, Sonam remained with Raj in a hotel room following Raja’s murder before being sent to her hometown of Indore, where she stayed for two days.

The police say Raj was the chief conspirator and that Sonam allegedly paid ₹20 lakh to those involved in the killing, although this claim has not yet been officially confirmed. The hired attackers are believed to have met the couple in Bengaluru before they all boarded a connecting flight to the northeast.

Arrests and surrender

The case took a dramatic turn when Sonam surrendered at Nandganj police station in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur on Sunday night. Her surrender came just hours after the arrests of Akash Rajput (19), Vishal Singh Chauhan (22), and Anand Kurmi from Uttar Pradesh and towns in Madhya Pradesh.

Raj, the alleged mastermind behind the murder, was arrested shortly thereafter.