Meghalaya court frames charges against five in Raja Raghuvanshi honeymoon murder case

A court in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills district has framed charges against five accused in the sensational murder of Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, who was allegedly hacked to death by hired killers during his honeymoon in Sohra (Cherrapunjee) in May.

The accused include Raja’s wife Sonam Raghuvanshi, her boyfriend Raj Kushwaha, and three hitmen — Vishal Chauhan, Akash Rajput, and Anand Kumi — all hailing from Madhya Pradesh. The court framed charges under Sections 103(1) (murder), 238(a) (disappearance of evidence), and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). All five have pleaded not guilty.

According to police, Raja and his wife arrived in Shillong on May 21 before heading to Sohra for their honeymoon. On May 26, the couple went missing, triggering a large-scale search by the police, NDRF, SDRF, trekking teams, and locals. After nearly a week, Raja’s body was discovered on June 2 in a deep gorge near the Wei Sawdong Falls, one of the region’s popular tourist spots.

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Investigations later revealed that Sonam and her lover, Raj Kushwaha, had plotted Raja’s murder with the help of three contract killers from Madhya Pradesh. The murder was allegedly carried out in Sonam’s presence.

All five accused were arrested within a week of the incident. On September 5, the police submitted a 790-page chargesheet before the Judicial Magistrate First Class, Sohra Sub-Division. During Tuesday’s hearing, the court observed that there was prima facie sufficient evidence to proceed with the trial.

Meanwhile, police said preparations are underway to file a second chargesheet against three more individuals — Silom James, Lokendra Tomar, and Balbir Ahirbar — accused of destroying evidence related to the crime.

The trial in the gruesome case is expected to begin soon.