Sonam Raghuvanshi's secret life: It all started when her MBA dreams ended, drawn into family business before murder plot

INDORE: Sonam Raghuvanshi, now at the centre of a chilling honeymoon murder case involving the killing of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, once harboured dreams of pursuing an MBA. According to her relatives, she had completed her graduation and was preparing for further studies.However, her aspirations were quietly set aside when her family discouraged her from working outside. Instead, she was asked to assist her brother, Govind, in managing the family’s plywood business.It was in this very workplace that Sonam reportedly met Raj Kushwaha — the man now accused of helping her plot her husband's murder just days after their wedding.Raj had been handling billing and accounts in the family firm.

Police say that behind his calm and composed exterior, he was hiding dangerous intent.During their trip to Meghalaya, Raja’s elder brother Vipin, who had accompanied Sonam’s brother Govind, grew suspicious when he overheard Govind speaking frequently with Raj. “Govind kept saying, ‘I’ve left everything to you, please manage the business while I’m away in Shillong,’” Vipin recalled. “Looking back, I’m sure Govind had no idea Raj was involved.

None of us did.”Shockingly, just two days before the case broke open, Raj had even visited Sonam’s family, speaking to everyone as though nothing was amiss. “He came over and chatted with everyone,” Sonam’s father, Devi Singh, said. “We had no idea he might have been with Sonam or involved in this at all.”Investigators allege Raj masterminded the plan from behind the scenes, instructing his three childhood friends — Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan, and Anand Kurmi — to travel to Meghalaya to carry out the murder, while he stayed back and coordinated everything remotely.Family members now speak of a betrayal that cut deep. Raj was someone they considered one of their own — sharing meals, business, and trust, all while allegedly playing a key role in a cold-blooded crime.As the investigation deepens, more disturbing layers continue to emerge — including the revelation that Sonam had, at the time of matchmaking, agreed to marry Raja willingly. “When we discussed the proposal, I asked her clearly if she liked someone else,” her father said. “She said no and told me she would marry whoever I chose. She even asked her friend to tell me not to raise the question again.”What appeared to be a respectful, traditional union between two families turned out to be a front for an unthinkable act of betrayal.