 "Indore couple missing in Meghalaya: Sonam Raghuvanshi — wife of the deceased Raja Raghuvanshi — along with three men accused of being contract killers hired to murder her husband during their honeymoon. Image courtesy: X")
The mystery surrounding the missing Indore couple in Meghalaya has finally been solved.
In a major breakthrough, police on Monday confirmed the arrest of Sonam Raghuvanshi — wife of the deceased Raja Raghuvanshi — along with three men accused of being contract killers hired to murder her husband during their honeymoon.
Over the last couple of weeks, the case had captured national headlines, with police launching an extensive search operation to find the missing woman. After Raja was found brutally murdered in a gorge in the Sohra region, her family suspected that the couple might have been robbed or kidnapped. But now, the case has unravelled as a cold and calculated murder plot.
But how did the police crack the case? Here’s what we know
When a rejected local guide became a key witness
On the day Sonam and Raja went missing, the couple was trekking through a forested trail, reportedly on their way to Meghalaya’s famed double-decker living root bridges in Sohra.
On their way, Albert Pde, a local guide in the Nongriat village, had offered his services to newlyweds. The couple declined, choosing another guide.
However, what was odd was that Pde saw them again the next day—this time, accompanied by three unknown men, climbing the 3,000 steps back to Mawlakhiat.
“I saw the couple with three men on the way up. The men were walking ahead, and the woman was behind them. They were speaking in Hindi,” Albert later told the police. His statement would become central to the investigation, helping police track the suspects.
Earlier, an audio clip believed to be the couple’s last contact with their family before vanishing also surfaced. In the recording, accessed by India Today, Sonam was heard interacting with her mother-in-law.
Sonam describes the tough terrain they were navigating. “We’re in a dense forest, nothing is available here. The climb is steep. I had told him (Raja) not to go, but he never listens. I’m exhausted. The food here isn’t good either. It’s hard to breathe while walking,” she says in the clip.
That phone call turned out to be the last time anyone heard from them.
Eleven days after they disappeared, a police drone located Raja’s decomposed body at the bottom of a gorge near Wei Sawdong Falls. Police then launched a major search operation , with more than 50 to 60 people looking for Sonam, who was still missing.
‘Sonam came crying, asked for phone’
The search for Sonam came to an unexpected end — not in the forests of Meghalaya, but over 1,000 kilometres away in Uttar Pradesh.
She was found near a roadside dhaba in Nandganj, around 40 km from Varanasi. According to the dhaba owner, Sahil Yadav, Sonam looked distraught and asked to use his mobile phone to call home.
“It is a matter of around 1 am last night, when she came to the shop and was crying. She said that she had to call home. I gave her my mobile phone and she dialled. I asked her to sit there,” Sahil told the media, pointing to a chair nearby.
He added that he immediately called the police. “She was all alone when she came. I have the number of her family on my phone.”
Sonam was taken to Sadar Hospital for a check-up and later shifted to a One Stop Centre for women in distress.
The first photo of Sonam since her disappearance surfaced on Monday, showing her wearing a black T-shirt and track pants. According to Uttar Pradesh Police, she looked “distraught with fever.”
UP Director General of Police Rajiv Krishna said Sonam would be handed over to the Indore Police once they arrive in Ghazipur. He clarified that UP Police would not question her.
Meghalaya Police claims ‘contract killing’
Meanwhile, the story took a dramatic turn with Meghalaya Police accusing Sonam of planning her husband’s murder.
“The arrested men have revealed that the wife had hired them to kill Raghuvanshi,” said Meghalaya’s Director General of Police, I Nongrang.
Sources told CNN-News18 that Raj Kushwaha, who is said to have been in a relationship with Sonam Raghuvanshi, is believed to be the ‘mastermind’ behind Raja Raghuvanshi’s murder.
Sources added that the possible reason for the killing was Sonam’s relationship with Raj Kushwaha, whom she had known before she got married.
They also said Sonam may have booked the honeymoon trip as part of the plan to have her husband killed.
Inspector General Dalton P Marak added that Sonam surrendered under pressure and would be brought back to Meghalaya. They said that while three have been arrested, one of the accused is still absconding.
Earlier, Meghalaya CM Conrad K Sangma praised the police for making swift progress.
“Within 7 days, a major breakthrough has been achieved… 3 assailants who are from Madhya Pradesh have been arrested, female has surrendered and operation still on to catch 1 more assailant… well done,” he posted on X.
Sonam’s family claims innocence, demands CBI inquiry
Back in Indore, Sonam’s family is standing by her and demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the case.
Her father, Devi Singh, rejected all allegations and accused the police of spinning a false narrative.
“My daughter reached the roadside eatery, and she was crying and called from there. It was from the dhaba that the police picked her up. I haven’t spoken to my daughter yet,” he told PTI.
“The police are lying,” he claimed. “Why would my daughter do something like this? If she intended to do something like this, why would she go out travelling?"
He alleged that Sonam was abducted and remains under threat. “The Meghalaya Police have cooked up this story midway. My daughter is innocent,” he said, urging Union Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene.
Neighbours in Indore were equally stunned as news of Sonam’s arrest spread.
“I can’t believe it, she was a well-behaved and educated girl,” one neighbour told ANI. “The girl may be involved, but we can’t claim anything. She was a nice, simple girl. We don’t think she would have done it.”
As the investigation continues, more details of the alleged plot — and what really happened on that remote trail in Meghalaya — are likely to emerge.
With input from agencies