Accused in Meghalaya Honeymoon Murder Drove Mourners to Victim’s Funeral, Says Eyewitness

Raj Kushwaha, accused in Raja Raghuvanshi's murder, allegedly drove mourners to Raja’s funeral before his arrest. Eyewitnesses only recognized him after media reports. Authorities say Kushwaha and Sonam planned the murder and funded the killers’ trip to Meghalaya, while Sonam’s family calls for a CBI probe into the case.

In a startling revelation, Raj Kushwaha—one of the prime accused in the Meghalaya honeymoon murder case—was identified as the man who drove mourners to Raja Raghuvanshi’s funeral in Indore, just days before his arrest. Kushwaha, the alleged lover of Raja’s wife Sonam, was later held for his role in the murder conspiracy.

Eyewitness Lakshman Singh Rathore, who attended Raja’s funeral, said he traveled in a vehicle arranged by Sonam’s family and driven by Kushwaha. At the time, Rathore did not recognize the driver. “Only after seeing his photo in the media did I realize it was him,” he recalled.

Raja Raghuvanshi, a businessman from Indore, was found dead in a gorge near the Weisawdong Falls in Meghalaya on June 2, ten days after he and Sonam had gone missing during their honeymoon. The police believe the murder was premeditated and carried out by three men—Raj Kushwaha, Akash Rajput, and Vishal Chauhan—allegedly hired by Sonam and Kushwaha.

Investigators say the three assailants departed Indore for Meghalaya on May 17 with ₹50,000 and a mobile phone, both provided by Kushwaha. They chose the remote area near Sohra as the site for the murder. Raja was last seen alive on May 23.

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Sonam was arrested in Ghazipur on June 9 after she contacted her family from a dhaba. She claimed to have been drugged and kidnapped. Her family continues to insist on her innocence and has requested a CBI investigation into the case.

Despite her claims, the police say Kushwaha maintained contact with the killers and even helped coordinate the attack, further implicating both him and Sonam in the elaborate plot.