Raj Kushwaha masterminded Raja’s murder with Sonam’s aid, planned since Feb, say police

SHILLONG: In a significant development in the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case in Shillong, Meghalaya, the East Khasi Hills police have revealed crucial details of the crime.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Vivek Syiem disclosed that the murder was orchestrated by Raj Kushwaha, who was identified as the mastermind behind the killing.

SP Syiem stated, “The mastermind of this is Raj Kushwaha. Sonam played along with this plan. The three people involved are friends — one is Raj’s cousin. It was not a contract killing. They did it as a favour for their friend. Since they were in Indore, they have been planning how Sonam would disappear since February. When Raja and Sonam got married, they came to Kamakhya Devi Temple. The other four people also came here a few days before. They planned to eliminate Raja in Guwahati. Sonam made the plan to come to Shillong.”

#WATCH | Raja Raghuvanshi Murder case | Shillong, Meghalaya: SP East Khasi Hills Vivek Syiem says, “… The mastermind of this is Raj Kushwaha. Sonam played along with this plan… The three people involved are friend and one of them is Raj’s cousin. It was not a contract… pic.twitter.com/pfYJ3SUC7W

— ANI (@ANI) June 12, 2025

The police have arrested the accused, and further investigations are underway to uncover additional details in the case. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the court remanded all five key accused, including Sonam Raghuvanshi, to eight days of police custody in the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case, said police.

This development comes as the police continue their probe into the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi, whose body was discovered in a gorge near Sohra, close to Cherrapunji in Meghalaya, on June 2.

Sonam Raghuvanshi, the wife of the victim, along with four others — Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan, Raj Singh Kushwaha and Anand — are accused of murdering Raja Raghuvanshi, who recently got married and went on a honeymoon to Meghalaya.

Raja’s body was found on June 2 in a gorge at Sohra near Cherrapunji in Meghalaya. Sonam Raghuvanshi was later found near a dhaba on the Varanasi-Ghazipur main road. Raja Raghuvanshi and his wife, Sonam, both residents of Madhya Pradesh’s Indore, had gone missing during their honeymoon in the northeastern state of Meghalaya. (ANI)