Meghalaya Honeymoon Murder: Lover Raj Kushwaha Plotted Four Backup Plans to Kill Sonam’s Husband Raja

National Times Bureau, June 13, 2025: In a deeply disturbing turn of events, Meghalaya Police have confirmed that Raj Kushwaha, the alleged mastermind behind the honeymoon murder of Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, had meticulously designed three backup plans before finally executing the crime near Weisawdong Falls in the East Khasi Hills on May 23.

The investigation has revealed that Raj, along with his lover Sonam Raghuvanshi, the victim’s wife, had been plotting Raja’s murder since February 2025, months before Sonam and Raja were married on May 11. Police say the murder was motivated purely by Sonam and Raj’s illicit relationship, not financial greed.

Authorities uncovered that three earlier attempts to kill Raja in Guwahati, Nongriat, and Mawalakhyat had failed. The final plan was executed in a parking area near Weisawdong, where Raja was brutally killed and thrown into a 50-feet-deep gorge. All of this happened within seven minutes, while Sonam allegedly stood by and witnessed it.

Meghalaya DGP Idashisha Nongrang and East Khasi Hills SP Vivek Syiem confirmed that five accused including Kushwaha, Sonam, and three of Raj’s close associates have been arrested and have confessed. The three friends had traveled to Meghalaya under false identities to assist in the crime. Their names are Vishal Chauhan, Akash Rajput, and Anand Kurmi.

Disturbingly, police also found that if the plan to kill Raja had failed, Raj and his accomplices would have tried to stage Sonam’s death instead by murdering an unrelated woman and burning her body to pass it off as Sonam’s. Another option included faking Sonam’s drowning during the trip.

On May 23, after Raja’s murder, Sonam escaped Meghalaya in a burqa, eventually surrendering in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh on June 9. According to police, she made over 30 phone calls to Raj Kushwaha in the days leading up to the crime. Evidence includes text messages, phone logs, CCTV footage, and details of the suspects’ movement across states.

The shocking case has raised serious questions about marital abuse, manipulation, and digital privacy. Authorities are reconstructing the crime scene and combing through additional clues such as weapons, raincoats, and GPS traces to complete the case file.

Families of the victim are demanding a higher-level probe, as public outrage grows over the premeditated and callous nature of the crime. Meghalaya Police have urged citizens to allow due process and assured that the accused will face the full force of the law.