By News18
The sensational murder case of Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi has taken a dramatic new turn with the police now suspecting a secret marriage between Raja鈥檚 wife Sonam Raghuvanshi and her lover, Raj Kushwaha. The police have discovered not one, but two mangalsutras belonging to Sonam, one reportedly gifted by Raj and the other by Raja鈥檚 family at the time of her wedding. This duality has raised serious suspicions that Sonam and Raj may have tied the knot in secret even before Raja鈥檚 murder.
Sources within the police said that both mangalsutras were recovered during the ongoing investigation and are now central to the evolving theory that Sonam may have been living a double life. This comes on the heels of Raja Raghuvanshi鈥檚 murder in Shillong, after which Sonam returned to Indore and went into hiding in a rented flat.
During this period, Shilom James, another accused in the case, played a crucial role in concealing key evidence. Shilom allegedly transported Sonam鈥檚 jewellery from her Indore flat to Ratlam, where his in-laws live. Police have now recovered the missing ornaments from the Ratlam property, including a gold chain and a ring that were notably absent from Raja鈥檚 body when it was found.
Raja鈥檚 brother, Vipin Raghuvanshi, has made explosive allegations, claiming that jewelry worth Rs 16-17 lakh was gifted to Sonam by their family. The chain and ring missing from Raja鈥檚 body turned up in Shilom鈥檚 in-laws鈥 house. 鈥淭his can鈥檛 be a coincidence,鈥 Vipin said, suggesting a wider conspiracy involving theft, betrayal, and premeditation.
In a further development, the crime branch has questioned Shilom James鈥 wife in connection with the concealment of evidence. Though she was released after interrogation, she has since accused co-accused Lokendra Tomar of issuing threats. 鈥淟okendra told me that once he gets out, he won鈥檛 let me live in Indore,鈥 she claimed.
She also shed light on the mystery of the missing bag that reportedly contained incriminating evidence. According to her, Lokendra pressured her husband Shilom to 鈥渕ake the bag disappear,鈥 threatening that if he didn鈥檛 comply, an advance payment of Rs 3 lakh made for a building deal would not be returned. Fearing financial loss, Shilom allegedly complied and later hid the bag during one of his frequent visits to his in-laws in Ratlam.
Sonam and Raja Raghuvanshi tied the knot on May 11, 2025, in an arranged marriage held in Indore. Just days after the wedding, the couple set off on their honeymoon to Shillong in Meghalaya, a trip planned entirely by Sonam. The picturesque hills, however, became the setting for a brutal crime. Around May 22鈥23, while exploring the forests near Weisawdong Falls, Raja was murdered; his body later discovered in a gorge with deep cut wounds. What initially appeared to be a tragic accident soon spiralled into a sensational murder case, unravelling a web of betrayal, secret affairs, and shocking revelations that now lie at the heart of the investigation.