Meghalaya murder: Bustling with guests days ago, eerie silence at Sonam’s childhood home

A month after wedding celebrations lit up the narrow alley of Govind Nagar Kharcha area here, an eerie silence has enveloped the three-storeyed house where Sonam Raghuvanshi grew up — she who is accused of plotting the brutal murder of her husband Raja while honeymooning in Meghalaya.

Sonam (25) is accused of conspiring with her alleged lover Raj Kushwaha (20) and hiring three contract killers to bump off her husband in the scenic north-eastern state, over 1,000 km from her hometown Indore, in a carefully planned plot that unfolded just days after the couple's marriage.

All five accused, arrested from different places, are currently in the Meghalaya police's custody and are being grilled.

Local residents said the house where Sonam grew up now remains largely shut following her arrest in a case that has shocked the neighbourhood and drawn nationwide attention and opprobrium.

"Raja Raghuvanshi has been wronged terribly. The way this murder unfolded has tarnished our locality's name," said Vinod Srivastava, a long-time neighbour of Sonam.

"I want all the accused to be given the death sentence so that no one dares to commit such a horrific crime in the future," he told PTI on Thursday, 12 June.

Srivastava, who claims to have seen Sonam since childhood, said she appeared like a commoner.

"But who can ever truly know what's going on in someone's mind?" he said, giving voice to sentiments which are often being expressed after chilling details of the sinister plot and its execution tumbled out.

The family Sonam hails from deals in decorative laminate (Sunmica) sheets, while her husband Raja (29) was in the transport business.

According to police, Kushwaha, who has studied up to Class 12, had been working as an accountant at her family's firm for the last three years, during which he reportedly grew closer to Sonam.

Srivastava said Sonam's father Devi Singh Raghuvanshi strengthened his family's finances through various businesses after years of struggle.

"Their house was quite modest earlier. A few years ago, Devi Singh Raghuvanshi rebuilt the house bigger at the same site," he informed.

Vikas Shukla, another neighbour, said his family had financial dealings with Sonam's father and recalled her visiting their home to collect dues.

"She seemed a little arrogant back then, but never in my wildest dreams did I think she could be involved in a murder," he maintained.

Shukla said there is widespread anger in the locality against all five accused in the case. "If found guilty, they should all be hanged," he emphasised, echoing the sentiments of many local residents.

Raja and Sonam Raghuvanshi, who got married on 11 May, went 'missing' on 23 May while on their honeymoon in Meghalaya. His body was recovered on 2 June from a deep gorge near a waterfall in Sohra (Cherrapunji) in East Khasi Hills district. He had severe head injuries and a blood-stained sharp weapon was later recovered from the scene.

Sonam surrendered to the police in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur district on 8 June. The other four accused, including Kushwaha, were arrested from different locations in Madhya Pradesh and adjoining Uttar Pradesh.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Meghalaya police is probing the sensational murder.