Raja Raghuvanshi murder case: Police expose truth behind the mysterious ‘Sanjay Verma’ identity

A team of Meghalaya police is currently in Indore to question people who may have had something to gain from Raja’s death. (File image)

Sonam Raghuvanshi, who was arrested for the murder of her husband during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, had made over 100 phone calls to a man named Sanjay Verma in the days leading up to her wedding. However, police investigations have now revealed that Sanjay Verma was not a real person but a fake identity created by her boyfriend, Raj Kushwaha, according to a report by news agency PTI.

Speaking to PTI, East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem said, “We have found that Sonam made over 100 calls to someone named Sanjay Verma before her marriage to Raja. The calls continued even after the wedding.” Further investigations revealed that Verma was actually Raj Kushwaha, who is believed to have planned and executed the murder of Sonam’s husband, Raja Raghuvanshi.

A team of Meghalaya police is currently in Indore to question people who may have had something to gain from Raja’s death, the officer added. According to a report by India Today, Sonam contacted the number registered under Sanjay Verma’s name 119 times between March 1 and March 25. The conversations were allegedly long and frequent. Once Verma's name surfaced during the investigation, the police found out the phone was being used by Raj Kushwaha.

Sonam’s brother, Govind Raghuvanshi, claimed he knew nothing about the identity of Sanjay Verma. “I have no idea who Sanjay Verma is. I came here only to show where Raj used to work. I have also just learned that this name is now being connected to the case,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

Sonam, 24, and Raja, 29, got married in Indore on May 11. On May 20, they left for their honeymoon in Meghalaya. But just three days later, the couple went missing while travelling near Sohra, about 65 km from Shillong.

On June 2, Raja’s decomposed body was found at the bottom of a 200-foot-deep gorge near Weisawdong Falls in Cherrapunji. He had been hacked to death and dumped in the gorge, police said.

Sonam, who had also been reported missing, was later found and arrested in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh. During questioning, she allegedly admitted to being involved in the murder and named Raj Kushwaha along with three other men, Vishal Chauhan, Anand Kurmi, and Akash Rajput, as co-accused.