Indore Couple case: Personal Ties Drove Raja Raghuvanshi’s Killers, Not Just Money

16th June 2025 at 1:23 PM

1 minute read

Sonam Raghuvanshi, wife of the Indore man, Raja Raghuvanshi, who was found dead in Meghalaya.

SHILLONG: Fresh revelations in the murder case of Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi challenge the initial assumption of a straightforward contract killing. Meghalaya Police have disclosed that the three men accused of the crime Vishal Chauhan, Akash Rajput, and Anand Kurmi were motivated not solely by financial gain but by personal loyalty to their friend, Raj Kushwaha, who allegedly orchestrated the plot alongside Raja’s wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi.

According to East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem, the trio’s involvement stemmed from their close ties to Kushwaha, with one of them being his cousin. “This was not a typical contract killing. They acted as a favor to their friend Raj,” Syiem, shedding light on the dynamics behind the May 23 murder during the couple’s honeymoon in Meghalaya.

The police investigation revealed a meticulously planned crime. Sonam, reportedly unhappy in her marriage due to an alleged affair with Kushwaha, conspired with him to eliminate her husband. The three accomplices traveled from Indore to Shillong in stages to avoid suspicion, executing the murder in a remote gorge near a waterfall. Believing the isolated location would delay discovery, they assumed the police inquiry would drag on for months, allowing Sonam to pose as a victim, Syiem explained.

After the killing, Sonam fled to Guwahati, where she boarded a train to Indore, while the three men also returned to the city by taxi and train, as reported. A rented flat in Indore, secured by Chauhan for ₹17,000 per month with a ₹34,000 deposit, served as a hideout. The flat, stocked with ₹5,000 worth of groceries ordered online by Kushwaha, remained locked, with its keys still in Chauhan’s possession.

On June 11, all five accused Sonam, Kushwaha, Chauhan, Rajput, and Kurmi confessed to their roles in the murder, as reported by India Today. They were remanded to eight days of police custody on June 12. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) is now working to file a chargesheet swiftly, aiming to bring the case to trial.

The Meghalaya Police’s findings underscore a complex web of personal relationships and betrayal, revealing that loyalty, not just money, drove the tragic killing of Raja Raghuvanshi.