Shillong: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Meghalaya Police has filed a 790-page chargesheet in the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case, charging his wife Sonam Raghuvanshi, her lover Raj Kushwaha, and three others with murder.
The chargesheet was submitted in the court of the Judicial Magistrate First Class, Sohra Sub-Division.
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All five accused—Sonam, Raj Kushwaha, Akash Rajput, Anand Kurmi, and Vishal Singh Chauhan—have been arrested and are currently in judicial custody. They have been charged under Sections 103(I) for murder, 238(a) for disappearance of evidence, and 61(2) for criminal conspiracy under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem said a supplementary chargesheet will be filed against three more co-accused—property dealer Silome James, building owner Lokendra Tomar, and security guard Balbir Ahirbar—once additional forensic reports are available. These three had previously been arrested for destroying and concealing evidence and are currently out on bail.
The case initially began as a “missing couple” report after 29-year-old Raja and 24-year-old Sonam, both from Indore, went untraceable during their honeymoon in Meghalaya. The couple had married on May 11 despite Sonam’s ongoing relationship with Raj Kushwaha, an accountant in her family’s business.
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Raja and Sonam disappeared on May 23 after checking out of a homestay in Nongriat village, about 20 km from where Raja’s body was later found on June 2.
Sonam surfaced in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, on June 8 and surrendered at Nandganj police station shortly after three of her accomplices—Akash, Vishal, and Anand—were arrested from Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Raj Kushwaha was arrested later.
On June 11, Sonam reportedly confessed to murdering her husband. Speaking on the matter, Sonam’s brother Govind stated that the family has severed all ties with her and expressed support for Raja’s family in their pursuit of justice.
The case, which shocked the nation with its elements of betrayal and premeditated crime, continues to unfold as the SIT prepares additional charges against remaining accused.