Sonam Acted Tired, Walked Behind Husband, Then Yelled "Kill Him": Sources

In a sinister murder case, all it took was five days, a meeting at a cafe, and a one-way honeymoon trip to Meghalaya to kill Raja Raghuvanshi, an Indore-based businessman. The plan was allegedly hatched by his wife, Sonam, and her lover, Raj Kushwaha - who hired his three friends as 'contract killers'.

Five days after Raja and Sonam got married, Raj called his childhood friends - Anand Kumri (23), Akash Rajput (19), and Vishal Singh Chauhan (22) - to a cafe in Madhya Pradesh's Indore to plan the killing of Raja. He lured them with money to commit the crime, sources said.

On May 20, Raja and Sonam left for their honeymoon in Meghalaya, with a one-way ticket in hand and the three killers following them to the Northeast. Sources said that Raj sent his friends to Guwahati first on May 20, where they ordered an axe online. From there, they went to Shillong and stayed at a hotel near Sonam and Raja's homestay.

The newly-wed couple, meanwhile, roamed around the breathtaking hills for three days. But on May 23, Sonam took Raja to a hilly area on the pretext of a photoshoot. The three accused also followed them and initially spoke to Raja in Hindi. Eventually, Sonam pretended to be tired and started walking much behind her husband and the killers.

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As the five people reached a deserted place, Sonam shouted "kill him" - to the killers, sources said.

All this while, Sonam's lover Raj was not in the scene. He did not travel to Meghalaya, but Shillong Police sources suggest he did the planning behind the scenes and was in touch with Sonam.

Missing persons search turns into murder investigation

What initially started as a probe to find the couple, who went missing on May 23, turned into a murder investigation when Raja's body was found in a gorge on June 2, ten days after the brutal crime. A machete, suspected to be the murder weapon, was also recovered. His preliminary autopsy report revealed that he was attacked twice - once each on the back and front of his head.

Weeks later, the 24-year-old 'missing' wife was found in an unconscious state on Saturday night at a 'dhaba' in Ghazipur. She was taken to the Ghazipur Medical College for treatment, where she surrendered before the police, and was subsequently taken into custody. The three accused were also arrested in overnight raids.

Sonam claimed she was 'drugged'

Uttar Pradesh Police's Additional Director General (Law and Order) Amitabh Yash made several revelations regarding the case, including Sonam's claim that "she was drugged and brought to Ghazipur" to present herself as the victim.

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"Sonam presented herself as a victim before the police, claiming she was drugged and brought to Ghazipur. She informed her family about this, knowing the police would eventually reach her. Around 3 am on Monday, she told her family that she was at a dhaba on the Ghazipur-Varanasi road. Her family immediately contacted the Madhya Pradesh police, who informed the local police, leading to Sonam's arrest," Mr Yash told NDTV.

According to him, Sonam is a "poor planner".

"She lacked knowledge of police procedures and thought she could escape by posing as a victim, but she failed. The Meghalaya police have done excellent work and are currently handling the case. If they seek assistance, we will provide it," he said.