Meghalaya Minister demands apology from families of Sonam, Raja Raghuvanshi for ‘tarnishing’ State’s image

Meghalaya Minister demands apology from Sonam and Raja Raghuvanshi families for tarnishing state's image amid murder investigation.

Meghalaya Minister Alexander Laloo Hek on Tuesday (June 10, 2025) demanded an apology from the families of both Sonam and Raja Raghuvanshi for allegedly ‘tarnishing’ the image of the State and its people, as the investigation is underway in the murder case.

Speaking to ANI, Meghalaya Minister Alexander Laloo Hek said, “We are thankful to the Meghalaya police for the breakthroughs in the ongoing investigation of the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case. Now we are seeking an apology from Sonam and Raja Raghuvanshi’s families for tarnishing the image of Meghalaya and its people. We will file a case of defamation if they don’t comply.”

“The accused will be brought here since the incident took place in the State. We do not have any issue if they want to hand over the case to the State police, central police or the probe agency, but the truth has already prevailed,” said the Minister.

The family of Raja Raghuvanshi had earlier written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting a CBI inquiry into the matter. Raja Raghuvanshi and his wife, Sonam, went missing during their honeymoon in the northeastern state. The couple was last seen on May 23.

Later, on June 2, Raja’s body was found in a gorge at Sohrarim near Cherrapunji in Meghalaya. Sonam Raghuvanshi was later found near a dhaba on the Varanasi-Ghazipur main road.

Sonam had allegedly hired killers to get rid of her husband during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, just days after their marriage in Indore, they said. Four of them have been arrested.

 A local tourist guide who alerted police about the presence of three unidentified men accompanying newlyweds Raja and Sonam Raghuvanshi on the day they went missing last month said he is satisfied that his information helped crack the case.