Trial to begin in Meghalaya honeymoon murder case after court frames charges against Sonam Raghuvanshi

Meghalaya honeymoon murder case

A court in Meghalaya has formally framed murder charges against five individuals, including the widow of the deceased, setting the stage for a trial that will probe the brutal killing of an Indore-based businessman during his honeymoon.

According to a reports, Shillong Additional District Judge D R Kharbteng framed the charges on October 28. The accused are Sonam Raghuvanshi, her alleged lover Raj Kushwaha, and three other men — Vishal Singh Chauhan, Akash Rajput and Anand Kurmi. All five have denied the allegations.

The trial is scheduled to begin on November 11, with the prosecution set to examine its key witnesses first. Confirming the latest development, Rana, the lawyer representing the accused, was cited by The Indian Express as saying, “The court has framed charges of murder against my clients. We will now make our case before the court.”

The prosecution’s case alleges a chilling conspiracy. Raja Raghuvanshi and his wife, Sonam, had travelled to Shillong on May 21 before heading to Sohra. Their honeymoon took a grim turn when the couple was reported missing on May 26, triggering a large-scale search operation.

The search concluded on June 2 with the discovery of Raja’s body in a deep gorge near the Wei Sawdong falls. The recovery of the body transformed the investigation from a missing persons case into a murder probe. Police stated he had been hacked to death, with two sharp cuts found on his head.

Investigators allege that Sonam, in a relationship with co-accused Raj Kushwaha, conspired with the three other men to eliminate her husband. The prosecution claims the three assailants travelled from Madhya Pradesh to carry out the murder.

As per the police account, Vishal Singh Chauhan attacked Raja with a machete, known locally as a ‘dao’. It is alleged that Sonam was present during the assault but fled as her husband began to bleed and scream, only returning after he had died.

Evidence gathered, including a second machete and a white shirt believed to belong to accused Akash Rajput, was also recovered from the gorge. Following a probe, all five accused were arrested on June 8 and 9.

The court has charged them under Sections 103(1) (murder), 238(a) (disappearance of evidence), and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. The case is built upon a 790-page chargesheet submitted by the police on September 5.