Love, Betrayal, and a Shocking Arrest: Timeline of Tragic Meghalaya Honeymoon Murder Case

Meghalaya Honeymoon Murder Case: What began as a honeymoon in the beautiful hills of Meghalaya ended in a chilling tale of betrayal and murder. Raja Raghuvanshi, 27, and his wife Sonam Raghuvanshi, 24, had just gotten married and travelled from Indore, Madhya Pradesh to Meghalaya to celebrate their newly wedding life. But just days after, Raja was found murdered and Sonam went missing.

Love, Betrayal, and a Shocking Arrest

The couple checked into a guest house in Shillong on May 21. The next day, they rented a scooty and left for Sohra (Cherrapunji), a popular tourist spot. On the evening of May 22, they reached a village called Mawlakhiat, parked their scooty, and hired a local guide to help them trek to a remote homestay in Nongriat village.

On May 23, they checked out of the homestay and told the guide they would walk back on their own. That was the last time anyone saw them together.

The next day, on May 24, a scooty was found abandoned in Sohrarim village. The police soon confirmed it belonged to the couple. A massive search began in the area, with locals and police trying to find any sign of them.

On June 2, a police drone spotted a body in a deep gorge near Wei Sawdong Falls. It was later confirmed to be Raja. His family identified him, and the police also found a blood-stained machete and a raincoat nearby. A murder case was immediately registered, and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed. Teams from NDRF and SDRF joined the efforts to search for Sonam, but heavy rains made it difficult.

On June 7, CCTV footage showing Raja Raghuvanshi and his wife Sonam together outside their hotel surfaced, just before they went missing.

The video shows the couple arriving on a scooter outside their homestay in Shillong and later leaving the homestay on the same scooter.

For days, Sonam went missing. But on the night of June 9, there was a major breakthrough. Sonam was found sitting alone at Kashi Dhaba, a roadside eatery on the Varanasi-Ghazipur highway in Uttar Pradesh. She was taken to Sadar Hospital for a health checkup and then moved to a One Stop Center.

Sonam, the daughter of Devi Singh Raghuvanshi Singh from Govindnagar Khadsa, Indore, had contacted her family earlier that evening. Her family immediately told the Indore Police, who worked with the local police in Ghazipur to find her. She later surrendered at Nandganj Police Station.

The case took a shocking turn when Meghalaya’s police chief, Idashisha Nongrang, revealed that Sonam had allegedly planned her husband’s murder. Police say she hired three men to kill Raja during their honeymoon. Those three men two from Indore and one from Uttar Pradesh have now been arrested. One more suspect is still being searched for.

The three accused reportedly told police that Sonam paid them to carry out the murder. The motive is still under investigation.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma praised the police, saying, “In just seven days, a major breakthrough has been made. The wife has surrendered, three men have been arrested, and one more suspect is being tracked. Great work by the team.”