Meghalaya police question families in Indore for hidden motives in honeymoon murder

Meghalaya police investigators spent hours questioning family members of the accused woman and her alleged accomplice as they search for additional factors that may have led to the brutal killing of an Indore businessman during his honeymoon trip.

A Special Investigation Team from Meghalaya arrived at the Indore residence of Sonam Raghuvanshi's parents on Wednesday, conducting a thorough two-hour interrogation at their Govind Nagar Kharcha home. The team later questioned Chunni Devi, mother of co-accused Raj Kushwaha, for approximately 30 minutes at her residence.

Raja Raghuvanshi, 29, was found dead in a gorge near a waterfall in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district on June 2, nearly two weeks after disappearing during what should have been a celebratory honeymoon with his new bride. His mutilated body, discovered in the Sohra area, marked the end of a marriage that had lasted just 12 days.

The investigation has revealed a web of relationships centred around Sonam's family business dealing in Sunmica sheets. Kushwaha, despite being only a Class 12 dropout, worked as an accountant in the family establishment, where he developed a close relationship with Sonam before her marriage to Raja.

"The police team made a general inquiry about Sonam's behaviour," Govind Raghuvanshi, Sonam's brother, told reporters after investigators left their family home. He accompanied the police team during their investigations and expressed willingness to undergo any form of testing, including narco-analysis, stating he had committed no "sin."

Investigators are particularly interested in reports of extended phone conversations between Sonam and someone identified as 'Sanjay Verma.' Sources suggest this number may have been previously registered under Kushwaha's name, adding another layer to the conspiracy allegations.

The police team also examined the family's business premises, questioning employees at both the office and warehouse facilities. They sought information about any behavioural changes in Sonam following her marriage to Raja Raghuvanshi on May 11.

Raja's family has demanded that all members of Sonam's family undergo narco-analysis testing. The demand comes as investigators work to determine whether factors beyond the alleged pre-marital affair contributed to the businessman's death.

The couple had departed for Meghalaya on May 20, but Raja disappeared just three days into their trip. Sonam surrendered to police in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur district on June 8, while Kushwaha and three associates, Vishal Chauhan, Akash Rajput, and Anand Kurmi, were arrested across Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

The case has shocked both families and raised questions about the planning involved in what investigators believe was a carefully orchestrated murder conspiracy disguised as a romantic getaway.