Meghalaya honeymoon murder: Who is Raj Kushwaha? Raja Raghuvanshi's brother says 'Sonam was regular in touch with him'
Meghalaya honeymoon murder: In a shocking turn of events in the alleged murder of Raja Raghuvanshi, who was killed while on his honeymoon in Meghalaya, the victim's family has claimed that his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, may have been in close contact with a man named Raj Kushwaha—believed to be involved in the murder plot.
Raja Raghuvanshi, a newlywed from Madhya Pradesh, was found dead just days after his wedding. The Meghalaya Police have accused his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, of orchestrating the murder by hiring contract killers. According to unconfirmed reports, Raj Kushwaha was allegedly complicit in the crime.
Raja's brother, Vipul Raghuvanshi, in a statement to ANI, claimed that Sonam was frequently in touch with Raj Kushwaha, who he identified as her employee. “I had no idea about these 3-4 individuals until their names surfaced. Raj Kushwaha’s name coming up means Sonam might be involved. She and Raj were constantly on the phone. But I never imagined she could do something like this,” he said.
Vipul also questioned the couple's travel plans, stating that initially, they intended to visit Assam to offer prayers at the Maa Kamakhya Temple, but later changed course to Shillong. “We don’t know who planned the Meghalaya trip. They didn’t even book return tickets,” he added.
Raja’s mother, Uma Raghuvanshi, expressed deep anguish over her son’s death and said Sonam should be given the death penalty if proven guilty. “She always behaved well with us, so it’s hard to believe. But if she’s responsible for Raja’s murder, she must be punished severely. I treated her like my own daughter,” she was quoted as saying,
However, Sonam’s father, Devi Singh, came to her defense, alleging that the Meghalaya Police were falsely implicating her. “Sonam called her brother Govind from a dhaba in Ghazipur. We demand a CBI probe. Meghalaya Police are not telling the truth and didn’t conduct a proper investigation. I believe they are involved in the murder. This was an arranged marriage, and Sonam did not know Raja beforehand,” he stated.
He further claimed he hasn't been in direct contact with his daughter and that only his son spoke to her briefly around 2 am. He added, “She reached the dhaba on her own. Meghalaya Police is trying to trap her. If there’s a fair CBI inquiry, even police officials from Meghalaya will be behind bars.”
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh ADG Law and Order, Amitabh Yash, confirmed that Sonam Raghuvanshi was located at the Kashi Dhaba on the Varanasi-Ghazipur road. "She contacted her family around 3 am. Ghazipur police then escorted her to the hospital and subsequently to the One Stop Centre. UP Police has not questioned her. She will be handed over to Meghalaya Police once they arrive in Ghazipur," he informed.
- With inputs from agencies
