A chilling murder case involving newlyweds from Indore has taken a dramatic turn with the wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, surrendering to the police in Uttar Pradesh just days after her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, was found dead in a remote gorge in Meghalaya.

Sonam, 24, who had travelled to Meghalaya for her honeymoon with Raja, allegedly hired contract killers to murder him. Her surrender at the Nandganj police station in Ghazipur came in the early hours of Monday, reportedly after a breakdown at a roadside eatery. “Last night around 1 a.m., Sonam Raghuvanshi was walking on the roadside and came to me asking for help. She asked for a mobile phone. When I asked what happened, she said her phone had been stolen, and it was urgent. She gave me a number, and I called for her. She spoke to her family,” said Sahil Yadav, owner of Kashi Dhaba on the Varanasi-Ghazipur highway.

According to Yadav, Sonam appeared visibly distressed and was crying uncontrollably. “She was crying so hard that she could barely speak. She asked for water, and I gave her the water. Since she couldn’t talk properly, I spoke to them as well. They requested that I contact the nearest police station to ensure her safety,” he recounted.

Sonam allegedly told Yadav that she and her husband had been attacked during their honeymoon. “She said that in May, she got married. She and her husband had gone to Meghalaya for their honeymoon, and Raja was killed while trying to protect her from a group of men who attempted to snatch her jewellery,” he added. She also claimed she had no memory of how she ended up in Uttar Pradesh.

According to DGP, Sonam Raghuvanshi Culprit Behind the Crime

Meanwhile, Meghalaya Police have stated otherwise. According to Director General of Police Idashisha Nongrang, Sonam was involved in the conspiracy to murder her husband. “She was allegedly involved in planning her husband’s murder and had hired contract killers to execute the crime,” Nongrang confirmed. Investigations revealed that the couple had arrived in Meghalaya last month and were reported missing on May 23.

A major breakthrough came nearly ten days later when Raja’s body was recovered on June 2 from a deep gorge near the Weisawdong Parking Lot in Cherrapunji. He had suffered two severe injuries to the head, one from the front and another from the back, as per the autopsy report. A machete believed to be the murder weapon was found nearby. The rented scooter the couple had used was discovered abandoned in Sohrarim, with the keys still in the ignition.

According to a senior Meghalaya Police officer quoted by India Today, Sonam was allegedly in a relationship with a man named Raj Kushwaha, who is suspected to have played a key role in the planning. Along with Raj, three others — Aakash Rajput from Lalitpur, Vikas alias Vicky (also known as Vishal Singh Chauhan), and Anand from Bina — have been arrested in connection with the murder. The arrests were made from different parts of Madhya Pradesh.

The case initially baffled authorities, with both Raja and Sonam reported missing. Speculation intensified until Raja’s remains were found by a search team. A tourist guide had earlier informed police that the couple was last seen accompanied by three men.

Sonam to Bring Back to Meghalaya for Further Investigation

Meghalaya Inspector General of Police Dalton P. Marak told IANS that Sonam’s surrender occurred as pressure from the ongoing multi-state investigation mounted. She is currently being held at a One Stop Centre in Ghazipur after undergoing a medical examination at Sadar Hospital. She is expected to be brought back to Meghalaya for further interrogation and legal proceedings.

However, Sonam’s family has rejected all allegations against her. They claim she was abducted and framed by police. Her father insisted that she called the family claiming she had been kidnapped and that someone had attempted to rob her. “She said she did not remember how she reached Ghazipur,” her father claimed. The family is now demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe and intends to approach Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

As the investigation continues, police are tracking the sequence of events that led to Raja’s tragic death. Sources close to the case have indicated that Sonam’s relationship with Raj Kushwaha predates her marriage, adding a possible motive to the crime.