What should have been the joyful beginning of a new marriage instead unraveled into one of the most chilling and manipulative crime stories in recent memory. In the misty hills of Shillong, Meghalaya—known for their breathtaking landscapes and romantic charm—a diabolical plan took shape. By the time the fog lifted, an Indian businessman lay dead, his honeymoon transformed into a nightmare of betrayal, greed, and deception.
On May 20, Raja Raghuvanshi, a successful businessman from Indore, set off with his new bride, Sonam Raghuvanshi, for their honeymoon in Shillong. To outsiders, the couple seemed blissfully happy, a picture of tradition and celebration. But beneath the surface, hidden away from family and friends, a deadly conspiracy was already in motion.
Just days after their arrival, the couple vanished. The disappearance at first stirred quiet whispers among relatives, but when calls and messages went unanswered, concern grew. Local authorities, hampered by heavy rains and thick fog in the hilly terrain, began a difficult search. Days later, Raja’s body was discovered at the bottom of a remote canyon. His corpse was badly decomposed, stripped of identification documents and his wedding ring, and bore clear signs of foul play.
Suspicion initially fell on Raj Kushwaha, a man believed to be Sonam’s lover. The early theory was simple: a jealous lover, unable to stand seeing Sonam married, had orchestrated the killing. But as police probed deeper, the picture darkened. The crime was not a spontaneous act of passion—it was a premeditated murder with chilling precision, and at its center stood Sonam herself.
Investigators soon uncovered that Sonam had been manipulating Raj for months. She promised him a future together, whispering that once her husband was out of the way, they could finally live as a couple. But Raj was not alone in carrying out the plot. He enlisted three accomplices—Vishal Singh, Anand Kurmi, and Akash Rajput—who were lured by promises of financial reward.
The group traveled to Shillong discreetly, coordinating through phone calls and real-time location updates from Sonam. Between May 23 and May 24, the killers cornered Raja. Though details remain under review, authorities believe he was ambushed and pushed from the gorge to his death. What was certain was that Sonam knew every step of the plan and facilitated it from within her marriage bed.
After the murder, the conspirators slipped back to Indore, assuming the nightmare was behind them. Raj, convinced he had secured his lover’s heart, met with Sonam again. He believed their lives together could finally begin. But Sonam had a second betrayal waiting.
As police tracked communications, they uncovered an even more sinister twist: Sonam had not only manipulated her husband and Raj, but she was also secretly involved with a third man. Raj, once her lover and accomplice, was himself marked for disposal. She gave him directions to a supposed safe house—a hiding place known only to her. Authorities now suspect she planned to eliminate him as well, erasing another loose end before escaping into a new life.
The unraveling of the plot came through digital footprints. Mobile phone records revealed a constant stream of calls and messages between Sonam and Raj during the honeymoon. The evidence was damning. On June 8, Sonam was arrested, and under questioning, she confessed to her role in the crime.
Police continue to investigate the identity of the third man, piecing together whether he played an active role in planning or was simply another victim of Sonam’s manipulations. What is clear is that she had constructed a web of lies, playing multiple men against each other for her own gain.
The case has shocked India, not only for the brutality of the act but for the way it desecrated the sanctity of a honeymoon. A period traditionally filled with joy, intimacy, and the promise of a shared future was instead the setting for cold-blooded murder. The betrayal of Raja—by the very woman he had just vowed to love and cherish—has left the public shaken and outraged.
Legal experts say the case is a grim reminder of how premeditated violence can hide beneath ordinary facades. Sonam presented herself as a devoted new bride while secretly coordinating with accomplices, sharing her husband’s location in real time to ensure his death. The duplicity is almost theatrical in its cruelty.
For the victim’s family, the tragedy is incomprehensible. They mourn not only Raja’s loss but the deceit that masked itself as love and family. For the wider public, the case has become a cautionary tale of how manipulation, ambition, and selfishness can twist human relationships into instruments of destruction.
As investigations continue, with trials expected to follow, one thing is certain: this story has permanently scarred the idea of a honeymoon as a safe, sacred beginning. Instead, it has been recast as the setting for betrayal so deep it reads like fiction, but is all too real.
What happened in the hills of Shillong serves as a chilling warning. Even in the most intimate bonds—perhaps especially there—dark intentions can be hidden. And sometimes, the person standing closest is the one holding the knife.