New Delhi: In a chilling twist to the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case, police have revealed that Sonam Raghuvanshi’s cousin, Jitendra Raghuvanshi, played a role in facilitating payments to the contract killers hired to eliminate her husband. The murder, which occurred in Meghalaya last month, has sparked national outrage.
Investigators said Jitendra’s UPI account was used to transfer the first installment of payment to the three hired assassins—Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan, and Anand Kurmi—on May 23, the same day Raja was murdered. Authorities are now probing whether Jitendra made the transaction knowingly or was used as an unknowing intermediary.
So far, five individuals have been arrested in connection with the case. Jitendra, who helps manage the family business—primarily overseen by Sonam—is now under close police scrutiny, especially since he handles many financial transactions. “We are investigating whether he was aware of the motive behind the payment,” said a senior officer involved in the case.
Sources suggest Sonam promised the hitmen ₹20 lakh to carry out the killing, though officials are yet to officially confirm the amount.
The 24-year-old Sonam married 29-year-old Raja Raghuvanshi on May 11 in Indore. However, police believe the marriage went ahead despite her ongoing affair with Raj Kushwaha, an accountant in her family’s furniture business and another accused in the murder.
The newlyweds had traveled to Meghalaya for their honeymoon. They went missing on May 23, shortly after checking out of a homestay in Nongriat village. Raja’s body was discovered on June 2, around 20 km away from where they were last seen.
Following a nationwide search, Sonam surfaced in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, on Sunday and surrendered at the Nandganj police station. Her surrender came shortly after the arrests of the three contract killers in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Raj Kushwaha was arrested soon after.
During interrogation, Sonam reportedly confessed to orchestrating the murder. Her family, deeply shaken by the crime, has publicly disowned her. Her brother Govind declared that all familial ties with her have been severed. He offered full support to Raja’s grieving family and demanded the harshest punishment for his sister, even calling for her execution if found guilty.
The case continues to unravel, with more arrests and revelations expected in the coming days.
