A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Meghalaya Police is preparing to produce Sonam Raghuvanshi, the prime accused in the murder of Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, along with other co-accused, before a local court on Wednesday. The police investigation, codenamed ‘Operation Honeymoon’, has revealed chilling details of a meticulously planned murder that took place during the couple’s honeymoon trip in Meghalaya.

According to officials, the SIT gathered crucial evidence from multiple locations associated with the accused, including residences in Indore (Madhya Pradesh) and Ghazipur (Uttar Pradesh). A senior police officer confirmed that evidence collected from Sonam’s home and the homes of the other accused has strengthened the case. Based on these developments, the SIT has secured a six-day police remand for the three accomplices from Indore and a three-day remand for Sonam, who is the main conspirator.

Sonam Raghuvanshi, a 24-year-old woman from Indore, allegedly orchestrated the murder of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, while vacationing in Sohra (Cherrapunjee), Meghalaya. The shocking case unfolded after Raja’s body was discovered on June 2, nearly 10 days after he was reported missing on May 23, just hours after checking out from a homestay in Nongriat village. A rented scooter used by the couple was later found abandoned in Mawkdok, a tourist site near Sohrarim.

As per SIT findings, after the murder, Sonam took a local taxi from Mawkdok to Guwahati, and then boarded multiple trains while making her way back to Indore. Her three accomplices, arrested in overnight raids, followed a similar route, using a tourist taxi to reach Guwahati railway station before boarding a train. The accused men have been identified as Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan, and Raj Singh Kushwaha.

Sonam later surfaced in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, where she surrendered at the Nandganj police station. By this time, the Meghalaya Police had already launched a large-scale manhunt across three states. With mounting pressure and arrests of her accomplices, Sonam’s surrender added to the unraveling of the murder conspiracy.

The Director General of Police (DGP) of Meghalaya, I Nongrang, confirmed that Sonam had planned the killing and hired the three assailants to carry it out. The murder, described as both “premeditated and brutal,” took place shortly after the couple’s arrival in the state for their honeymoon. They had been married on May 11 in Indore.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma acknowledged the seriousness of the crime and commended the police for gathering “solid evidence” linking Sonam to the murder. He noted that while the investigation took a few days to connect the dots, all evidence eventually pointed toward her. Recovered from the crime scene were a woman’s white shirt, a strip of medicine, a smartwatch, and a damaged part of a mobile phone screen, along with Raja’s body, which was identified by a distinctive tattoo on his right hand.

The SIT’s current focus is on reconstructing the sequence of events leading to the murder, ensuring that the case is airtight and legally robust. The case continues to receive widespread attention due to the dramatic turn of events, involving cross-state coordination, digital forensics, and a shocking betrayal during what was supposed to be a celebration of newlywed life.