Sonam Raghuvanshi, the 24-year-old Indore resident arrested in connection with the murder of her husband Raja Raghuvanshi. (File Photo)
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In its 700-page chargesheet in the Meghalaya honeymoon murder case, investigators are learnt to have claimed that Sonam Raghuvanshi signalled the contract killers to “complete the job here” and murder her husband, Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, believing that “after this they will not get any opportunity anymore”.
The chargesheet, submitted before a court in Shillong, is learnt to detail how a single black trolley bag, packed and hidden before the honeymoon, became the thread investigators pulled to unravel a multi-state murder conspiracy involving coordinated surveillance, a brutal execution and an elaborate cover-up stretching from the remote hills of Meghalaya to the industrial sewers of Indore.
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The chargesheet is learnt to state that the murder was premeditated by Sonam and her alleged lover, Raj Singh Kushwaha. Before Sonam “left Indore for the honeymoon”, she kept a black trolley containing her personal items with Raj, who “kept it in the house of accused Vishal Singh Chauhan”, the chargesheet is learnt to state.
Eight days after the killing, CCTV footage captured the trolley’s delivery to Sonam’s hideout. “It was ascertained through CCTV footage… that after Sonam Raghuvanshi moved into the apartment, Raj Singh Kushwaha got the trolley/bags delivered from the house of Vishal Singh Chauhan to the apartment on 31 May 2025,” it is learnt to state.
Inside the black trolley and other bags were items Sonam had allegedly selected before leaving for her honeymoon — the white top she wore on the day of the murder, her mangalsutra, a diamond finger ring and gold finger rings, one gold earring, one gold nose ring, two silver anklets, one gold bracelet and a gold chain belonging to her deceased husband, Raja Raghuvanshi. Investigators were allegedly told the suitcase was still in the Indore apartment where Sonam had holed up after Raja’s murder.
When investigators reached the Indore apartment on June 17, they allegedly found that evidence had been destroyed.
The SIT found that the apartment was leased to a local resident, Shilom James, who led them there, where “it was found that the apartment has been cleaned and that the items which Sonam Raghuvanshi and Raj Singh Kushwaha have stated in their disclosure statement are missing”, the chargesheet is learnt to state.
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According to investigators, James initially denied knowledge. “However, Shilom James insisted that after Sonam Raghuvanshi left the apartment, no one had access to it as the keys are not available,” the chargesheet is learnt to state.
It was during interrogation at the Crime Branch Police Station in Indore that the truth allegedly emerged. “It is to be noted that during the course of interrogation of Shilom James at Crime Branch Police Station, Indore, he admitted having removed the items from the apartment” after learning that the couple was on the run in a murder case, the chargesheet is learnt to state.
James revealed he “was directed by the owner of the building to immediately remove and destroy all the items that are lying in the apartment and to get it cleaned”, the chargesheet said.
On June 25, Shilom James allegedly disclosed that among the items removed from the flat occupied by Sonam Raghuvanshi was a laptop bag. On checking the bag, he found a gun, two empty magazines, two live rounds of ammunition and Rs 50,000 in cash, the chargesheet said.
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It went on to claim that James disclosed that he threw the laptop and its bag on the roadside and “packed the gun, magazines and live ammunition in a plastic and threw it into the sewage at Industrial Area, Indore”.
After a brief search, a white-coloured packet was allegedly recovered from the sewage. Police also allegedly recovered one made-in-Japan pistol, two empty magazines and a plastic pouch containing two live rounds of ammunition.
During crime scene reconstruction on June 19, it was allegedly revealed that Raja and Sonam Raghuvanshi first arrived at the Wei Sawdong parking area, followed by Vishal Singh Chauhan, Aakash Singh Rajput and Anand Kurmi, the hired killers.
Sonam allegedly told Vishal Singh Chauhan to “complete the job here, i.e. to murder Raja because after this they will not get any opportunity anymore”.
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Vishal “took out a bag with the two machetes from the storage boot of the scooty that he rode… He tucked the machete inside his trousers and covered it with his shirt and gave the other to Anand Kurmi, who also did the same”, the chargesheet is learnt to state.
Raja Raghuvanshi was “already walking towards the viewpoint and was followed by Aakash”, while Sonam “proceeded to a washroom nearby to relieve herself”, it said.
Vishal Singh and Anand, “after arming themselves with the machetes, also proceeded to the viewpoint and Sonam Raghuvanshi arrived shortly”.
The group allegedly killed Raja and dumped his body in a deep gorge, after which Sonam fled to Indore to throw investigators off the trail, police said.
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According to the legal team for the accused, the court has taken cognisance of the case and the trial is underway. The case is currently at the stage of examination of witnesses after Shillong Additional District Judge D R Kharbteng framed charges of murder against Sonam, her alleged lover Raj Kushwaha, and two others on October 28.
Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy.
Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free.
Expertise and Reporting Beats
Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors:
National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres.
Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA).
Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking.
Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers.
Professional Background
Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017.
Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh.
Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs.
Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife.
Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance.
Digital & Professional Presence
Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express
Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More
