Sonam told Raj she'll push husband downhill in Meghalaya if hitmen failed: Sources

Sonam Raghuvanshi, the woman accused of killing her husband during their honeymoon trip in Meghalaya, was so determined to kill her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, that she planned to push him off a mountain herself if the hired men failed, sources told India Today TV.

"If Vishal, Anand, and Akash are not able to kill Raja, I will push him down the mountain while taking a photo," Sonam allegedly told her suspected lover and co-conspirator Raj Kushwaha, according to police sources.

Sonam reportedly hatched the murder plan shortly after returning to her maternal home in Indore on May 15, four days after her wedding. From there, she booked tickets to Guwahati and coordinated the plot with Raj over phone calls.

To delay physical intimacy with Raja and buy time, Sonam allegedly convinced him to visit the Kamakhya temple before heading to Meghalaya, claiming it was a gesture of respect.

Raja and Sonam checked out of a homestay in Nongriat village in Meghalaya on May 23. Ten days later, Raja's body was found around 20 km away in a deep gorge. According to the police, Raja was murdered by three men: Vishal Singh Chauhan (22), Akash Rajput (19), and Anand Kurmi, friends of Raj Kushwaha allegedly hired by Sonam.

Following the murder, Sonam went missing but resurfaced on June 8, surrendering at Nandganj police station in UP’s Ghazipur after the three accused were arrested in overnight raids in UP and Indore and Sagar towns. Raj Kushwaha (21), the alleged conspirator, was arrested later.

Kushwaha and three other accused are currently in the transit custody of Meghalaya Police.

The autopsy report of Raja Raghuvanshi indicated that he was hit twice with a sharp object on his head. "The autopsy report indicated there were two sharp cuts on the head of the deceased — one from behind and one from the front," East Khasi Hills SP Vivek Syiem said.