Behind honeymoon murder in Meghalaya, a plan hatched in Indore just days after wedding

According to Crime Branch officers, during Sonam and Raja’s honeymoon in Meghalaya, the assailants tasked with killing Raja tracked the couple down using the location information shared by Sonam. Kushwaha stayed behind in Indore and was even seen at Sonam’s family home during the time authorities in Meghalaya were searching for the honeymooning couple. After Raja’s body was found and brought back to Indore, Kushwaha was seen with a distraught Devi Singh, Sonam’s father, during the last rites, officers said.

“Kushwaha had planned to kill Raja just days after the wedding with Sonam, and roped in the other accused. They planned to kill him in a distant place and dump his body in an inaccessible area. Kushwaha stayed put in Indore so that he has an alibi. They (Kushwaha and Sonam) were in touch constantly in the days before the murder, which raised suspicions,” a senior Crime Branch officer said.

Kushwaha worked at the billing department of the plywood manufacturing unit owned by Sonam’s family. Sonam had worked in the HR department after she graduated from college. They met around two years ago and fell in love, officers said, adding that Kushwaha used to live near Sonam’s family but recently moved to the Nandbagh locality, where the other accused — those suspected of actually carrying out the murder — lived.

The three other accused in the murder, Vishal Chauhan, Akash Rajput and Anand Kurmi, were allegedly hired by Kushwaha to track down the couple and were helped by Sonam, who was “supportive of his plan to eliminate her husband”, Crime Branch officers said.

The three travelled to Guwahati by train and went to Meghalaya from there, police said.

The breakthrough in the case came when a local guide told police about seeing Sonam walking behind Raja and the three assailants near the site of the murder. The murder weapon, a dao, also raised suspicion as it was not native to the locality. Investigators suspect it may have been bought by the accused in Guwahati.

Additional DCP (crime) Rajesh Dandotiya, whose teams identified and detained the accused based on inputs provided by the Meghalaya Police, told The Indian Express, “The accused persons travelled to Bihar and then made their way to Guwahati, from where they went to the location (of the crime, in Meghalaya). They were presented before the CJM judge, and Shillong police got seven-day transit remand. The fourth accused, Anand, is being brought to Indore from Bina in Sagar district.”

Raja’s brother, Vipin Raghuvanshi, said, “Raj Kushwaha was Sonam’s employee. They would constantly talk on the phone… I have never seen Raj Kushwaha, I have just heard his name… They (Raja and Sonam) were only supposed to go to Assam to offer prayers at Maa Kamakhya Temple. After that, they said they were heading to Shillong. We don’t know which one of the two planned to visit Meghalaya. They did not book any return tickets.”

Raja’s mother, Uma, alleged that Sonam planned the honeymoon and took Rs 9 lakh from Raja to book tickets and hotels. She also alleged that Sonam had convinced Raja to take expensive jewellery with them against the family’s wishes. The claims are being investigated by the police, including allegations that Sonam arranged for money to be paid to the killers.

Uma also said that before the wedding, his son told her that Sonam was not showing any interest in him. “My son has told me, ‘Mummy, she is not showing any interest. I don’t want to marry her.’ I then asked Sonam if she was interested in my son. She told me that she had been busy with office work and hadn’t had the time to talk to him. But after that, she began speaking to my son. The honeymoon plans were made by Sonam,” she said.