A cousin of Sonam Raghuvanshi, the woman accused of plotting her husband Raja Raghuvanshi’s murder, is now under police investigation for allegedly making the initial payment to the hired killers. According to officials involved in the probe, Jitendra Raghuvanshi, Sonam’s cousin, transferred the first tranche of the promised sum using his UPI account on May 23—the day Raja was murdered in Meghalaya.
Jitendra Managed Family Finances, Say Cops
Investigators revealed that Jitendra is associated with the family’s business operations, which are primarily overseen by Sonam. “We are trying to find out if he was aware of the reason behind the payment,” a police officer stated. The exact timing of the UPI payment—whether it occurred before or after the murder—has not yet been confirmed.
Sources suggest Sonam agreed to pay ₹20 lakh to the three hitmen—Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan, and Anand Kurmi—but an official confirmation is still awaited.
Pre-Marriage Affair and Family Ties Surface
Sonam and Raja got married on May 11 in Indore, despite her ongoing relationship with Raj Kushwaha. Raj, who worked as an accountant in the family business, is believed to have coordinated the murder with Sonam and the hired assassins. Following their wedding, the couple traveled to Meghalaya for their honeymoon.
They were last seen on May 23 after checking out of a homestay in Nongriat village. Raja’s body was discovered in a 200-foot gorge on June 2, about 20 km from their last known location.
All Accused in Custody, Sonam Confesses
The investigation led to the arrest of the three contract killers across Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Raj Kushwaha was arrested shortly after. Days later, Sonam surfaced in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, and surrendered to police.
On June 12, Sonam confessed to orchestrating her husband’s murder. Her brother, Govind Raghuvanshi, expressed deep regret over her actions and confirmed that the family had severed all ties with her. “According to the evidence found so far, I am 100 per cent sure that she has committed this murder,” Govind said. “We have broken our ties with Sonam Raghuvanshi. I apologise to Raja’s family.”
Govind also revealed that Sonam had been tying rakhi to Raja for three years before their marriage. “Had we known about their relationship, we would never have allowed this to happen,” he said, urging that she be given the death penalty if proven guilty.
