A young man’s brutal murder during his honeymoon in Meghalaya has shocked the country, not just for its gruesome details, but also for how strikingly it mirrors one of Bengaluru’s most chilling crimes from over two decades ago. In 2003, Bengaluru was rocked by the murder of BV Girish, a 27-year-old software engineer engaged to law student Shubha Shankaranarayan. (FILE)

Raja Raghuvanshi, who had recently tied the knot, was allegedly killed by his wife, Sonam, during what was supposed to be a celebratory trip to the Northeast.

Days after his decomposing body was recovered from a gorge near a waterfall in Meghalaya’s Sohra region, Sonam surrendered to the police in Uttar Pradesh. Investigators say the murder was premeditated and possibly carried out with the help of hired killers, a plot similar to Bengaluru’s infamous 2003 “Ring Road Murder” case.

(Also Read: Meghalaya murder: Who is Jitendra Raghuvanshi? New twist in Raja Raghuvanshi case unfolds)

Why is it familiar?

According to a report by NDTV, in 2003, Bengaluru was rocked by the murder of BV Girish, a 27-year-old software engineer engaged to law student Shubha Shankaranarayan. Girish was attacked near the HAL airport just three days after their engagement, after Shubha convinced him to take her to watch planes land and take off.

Though she initially played the part of a grieving fiancée, Shubha’s inconsistencies and call records eventually unraveled the truth, she was in a relationship with her college junior, Arun Verma, and had plotted Girish’s murder with his help.

It was one of the earliest Indian criminal cases to rely heavily on mobile location and call data as key evidence, the report further added. Both Shubha and Arun were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment, along with two accomplices.

Meghalaya horror

Raja and Sonam had travelled there for their honeymoon but went missing soon after. A massive search operation led to the discovery of Raja’s body, and suspicion quickly turned towards Sonam.

Police claim they were already tracking her involvement when she surrendered in Uttar Pradesh. According to investigators, Sonam is believed to have orchestrated the murder with the help of contract killers.

While the motive is still being investigated, reports suggest she may have had an affair with a man named Raj Kushwaha, who has also been arrested along with other suspected conspirators.

(With agency inputs)

(Also Read: Why Sonam Raghuvanshi left her ‘mangalsutra’ at Meghalaya homestay before Raja Raghuvanshi’s murder)