The wife of an Indore man named Raja Raghuvanshi, who was found dead in Meghalaya during their honeymoon has been arrested for allegedly being involved in his murder, officials said on Monday. Police say Raja's wife, Sonam, planned the murder and hired contract killers to do it.

On Saturday night, Sonam was found unconscious at a roadside restaurant (dhaba) in Ghazipur. She was taken to Ghazipur Medical College for treatment. While there, she surrendered to the police and was then arrested.
Meghalaya's top police officer, DGP Idashisha Nongrang, said that three more people were arrested during overnight raids in connection with the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi. One of them was caught in Uttar Pradesh, and the other two were detained in Indore. Police say the suspects confessed that Raja’s wife, Sonam, had hired them to kill her husband.

Officials said the police are still questioning the accused and continuing their investigation. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma praised the police for solving the case quickly. In a post on X, he wrote, “Within 7 days, a breakthrough has been achieved in the Raja murder case… 3 assailants from Madhya Pradesh have been arrested, the woman has surrendered, and the operation is still on to catch one more. Well done to the Meghalaya Police.”

What happened?

Newlyweds Raja Raghuvanshi and his wife Sonam were on their honeymoon in Cherrapunjee, East Khasi Hills when they went missing on May 23. The couple had reached the village of Nongriat the day before and were last seen checking out of Balaji Homestay. A scooter they had rented was found abandoned the next day at Sohrarim.
Ten days later, Raja’s body was discovered in a deep gorge near the Weisawdong Parking Lot at Riat Arliang. A machete, believed to have been used in the murder, was also found near the spot. At that time, Sonam was still missing.

On Saturday, a tourist guide in Meghalaya came forward, saying he had seen the couple with three men on the day they disappeared. According to him, all five were climbing the over 3,000 steps from Nongriat to Mawlakhiat around 10 a.m. on May 23. The guide said he remembered the couple because he had offered to help them the previous day, but they had politely declined and chosen another guide instead.