Sonam’s Frequent Calls To Mother-In-Law Suggest ‘Cover-Up’ For Raja’s Murder: Police Sources

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News18.com Edited By: Pragati Ratti

Last Updated: June 09, 2025, 12:50 IST

According to sources, Raja’s family initially hesitated to approve of the trip and was not keen on sending them, but he told them Sonam had booked tickets and made arrangements.

Raja and Sonam had originally planned to visit Sri Lanka but were persuaded to go to Shillong after visiting Kamakhya Devi.

The family of Raja Raghuvanshi has said they were not aware of Raja and Sonam’s honeymoon travel plans to Meghalaya, top police sources have told CNN-News18. “Raja informed his mother of the honeymoon after Sonam had already booked the tickets,” sources said. According to sources, Raja’s family initially hesitated to approve of the trip and was not keen on sending them, but he told them Sonam had booked tickets and made arrangements.

Sources also noted that Sonam’s frequent calls to her mother-in-law during their trip were aimed allaying suspicion. “She maintained a façade of normalcy, even telling her mother in law that it was Raja who insisted on taking her into the forests,” sources added. Sources say these communications suggest a calculated effort to mask premeditation.

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Police sources have confirmed that statements from families of both Raja and Sonam Raghuvanshi will be formally recorded once the transit remand is complete.

Police are convinced that the crime was orchestrated by Sonam with assistance from three accomplices, while the mastermind was her alleged lover Raj Khushwaha. “This was a planned murder executed by Sonam with help from three others,” a top source asserted.

Sonam Raghuvanshi was traced to Uttar Pradesh. She surrendered at the Nandganj police station in Ghazipur on Sunday night after a call was made to the police station from a dhaba where she was reportedly seen crying, and was immediately taken into custody. The Meghalaya DGP, Idashisha Nongrang, confirmed her arrest and stated that Sonam had allegedly hired three hitmen to murder her husband during their honeymoon.

In overnight raids, the police also arrested the three alleged assailants. According to police sources, the men confessed that Sonam had orchestrated the killing. Further investigation revealed that she was allegedly in a relationship with another man, Raj Khushwaha, who has been named the main conspirator in the case. Call records have reportedly confirmed frequent communication between Sonam and Khushwaha, lending weight to suspicions of a preexisting affair.

Raja Raghuvanshi was found dead in a deep gorge near the picturesque Weisawdong Falls. His family, based in Indore, has expressed deep sorrow but has refrained from directly blaming Sonam. His brother Vipul Raghuvanshi stated, “Sonam has not been arrested. She is in custody. When she doesn’t confess, we won’t call her guilty.” He added that the family is waiting for the truth to emerge through proper investigation.

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Raja Raghuvanshi’s mother, Uma, broke down after learning Sonam was found alive. “I was shocked. There wasn’t a single scratch on her. If she had been attacked or kidnapped, there would have been marks. I sit before my son’s photo every night and talk to him. I tell him, ‘Find who wronged you.’ I feel his presence—he speaks to me when I’m in pain,” she said, struggling to hold back tears.

Meanwhile, Sonam’s father Devi Singh has strongly refuted the murder allegations against his daughter. “My daughter is innocent. I trust her completely. She cannot do this. The Meghalaya Police is lying from the beginning,” he said. According to Singh, Sonam had been in regular contact with her family and voluntarily came to meet them at a dhaba in Ghazipur, where she was then picked up by police. The family is now demanding a CBI investigation, alleging that the Meghalaya Police has falsely implicated her and even threatened legal action against the officers involved.

About the Author Manoj Gupta Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18 Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18

First Published: June 09, 2025, 12:35 IST