'Could Have Eloped, Why Killed Him?': Raja Raghuvanshi’s Brother Questions Raj Kushwaha’s Motive

Last Updated:June 21, 2025, 23:11 IST

Police suspect Sonam and Raj plotted the murder during the honeymoon and may have hired three individuals to carry it out.

Raja Raghuvanshi and his wife Sonam | Image: X

As police continue to probe the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi during his honeymoon in Meghalaya, his brother raised questions around the motive behind the killing, asking why the accused did not simply elope instead of resorting to murder.

Raghuvanshi was allegedly killed during a trip to Meghalaya, with his wife Sonam and her lover Raj Kushwaha now in police custody. The two were produced in a Shillong court on Saturday and sent to 13 days of judicial custody.

“If Raj wanted, he could have run away with Sonam earlier. Why did they have to murder Raja?" Vipin Raghuvanshi, the victim’s brother, told the news agency ANI.

“The Meghalaya Police couldn’t even increase their remand for eight days. Raj is yet to reveal why he committed the murder."

Police suspect Sonam and Raj plotted the murder during the honeymoon and may have hired three individuals to carry it out. However, Vipin believes the investigation is incomplete and has demanded a narco-analysis test for the accused.

“I have become a beggar asking for a narco-test. If a narco-test doesn’t happen, I will go to the High Court and Supreme Court if I have to… We still don’t understand why they murdered my brother," he said.

Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem said the accused were remanded to judicial custody after the investigating officer requested it. The motive behind the killing remains under investigation.

Raja Raghuvanshi went missing on May 23 during a honeymoon trip to Cherrapunji. His body was discovered on June 2 near the Wei Sawdong Falls in East Khasi Hills.

The case took a dramatic turn when Sonam surrendered on June 9 in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur district, nearly 1,000 kilometres from the crime scene.

The Meghalaya Police allege that Sonam conspired with her boyfriend, Raj Kushwaha, to eliminate Raja. According to investigators, they hired three men—Akash Thakur, Anand Kurmi, and Vishal Chauhan—to carry out the murder.

Location :

Meghalaya, India, India

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