The machete used in the brutal killing of Indore-based transport businessman Raja Raghuvanshi during his honeymoon in Meghalaya has now been recovered by police. Authorities confirmed that the weapon, a traditional blade known locally as a ‘dao’, was bought near Guwahati’s railway station before the crime.
According to police sources, the first attack on Raja was allegedly carried out by Vishal Chauhan, one of the five individuals arrested in connection with the murder. The weapon was reportedly used to repeatedly strike the 29-year-old victim as he struggled to defend himself. Investigators also found blood stains on the clothing of another accused, Akash Rajput, indicating that Raja tried to resist the assault.
The case has been under the scrutiny of a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which has taken five people into custody, including Raja’s wife Sonam Raghuvanshi, 25, and her alleged lover Raj Kushwaha, 20. The pair, along with their associates, are being questioned over the murder that shocked the nation. The three others accused—Vishal Chauhan, Akash Rajput, and Anand Kurmi—were initially believed to be contract killers. However, police now say they were close associates of Kushwaha and had ties to Sonam’s family, with Kushwaha reportedly working at a shop owned by Sonam’s father.
Raja Raghuvanshi’s Family Seeks Narco Test on Sonam
New revelations continue to emerge in the investigation. Visual evidence and details of the murder weapon have intensified public and family demand for further scrutiny. Raja’s elder brother, Vipin Raghuvanshi, has urged law enforcement to conduct narco-analysis tests on Sonam and her family. “We want a narco-analysis test on Sonam, her parents, brother Govind and sister-in-law,” he told PTI, expressing concern that more individuals might be connected to the murder. “New videos related to the murder are surfacing one after the other. We believe more people might be involved in my younger brother’s killing,” he added.
Sonam, the prime suspect in the case, surrendered to police in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, on June 9—nearly 1,200 km from where the murder occurred. She had been missing since May 23, the day she and Raja were last seen. Raja’s decomposed body was found near Meghalaya’s Weisawdong Falls on June 2, more than a week after the couple was reported missing.
The case has drawn nationwide attention due to its shocking nature—a honeymoon turned into a murder plot allegedly orchestrated by the victim’s own spouse. The investigation continues, with police delving deeper into the roles of all the accused and possible other conspirators.
