Anand Kurmi was detained from Sagar district in Madhya Pradesh on Monday and was brought to Indore for court proceedings.
In the murder case of Indore-based transport businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, a 23-year-old accused, Anand Kurmi, was produced before a district court in Indore on Tuesday.
The court granted transit custody of Kurmi to the Meghalaya Police for seven days, confirming their request, said Indore’s Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Rajesh Dandotia.
“The Meghalaya police will take all the four accused with them on the basis of the transit custody,” said ADCP Dandotia.
Anand Kurmi was detained from Sagar district in Madhya Pradesh on Monday and was brought to Indore for court proceedings. Three other men — Raj Kushwaha, Vishal Chauhan, and Akash Rajput — had already been sent to Meghalaya Police custody by the court on Monday for seven days.
All four are believed to be between 20 to 25 years old, and according to the local police, “their no previous criminal record has been found in local police stations.”
The case has taken a dark turn as investigations revealed that Raja Raghuvanshi was allegedly murdered during his honeymoon in Meghalaya — just days after marrying Sonam in Indore. The most disturbing revelation is that his wife Sonam (25) is believed to be the mastermind behind the murder.
According to Meghalaya Police, “Sonam had allegedly hired killers to get rid of her husband during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, just days after their marriage in Indore.”
After days of being on the run, Sonam surrendered at Nandganj Police Station in Ghazipur district, which is in Uttar Pradesh. She was later arrested by the Meghalaya Police. Officials say that Sonam was allegedly in love with Raj Kushwaha, one of the accused, which is believed to be the motive behind the conspiracy.
Background
Sonam, whose maternal home is in Govind Nagar Kharcha area of Indore, manages her family’s Sunmica sheets business, which deals with furniture laminates. According to ADCP Dandotia, “Kushwaha, who failed in Class 12, worked as an accountant in the establishment.” Their connection reportedly developed through this workplace relationship.
Timeline of Events
- May 11, 2025: Raja Raghuvanshi and Sonam got married in Indore.
- May 20, 2025: The couple left for their honeymoon in Meghalaya.
- May 23, 2025: The couple was reported missing.
- June 2, 2025: Raja’s body was discovered in a deep ditch near a waterfall in the Sohra area (Cherrapunji) of East Khasi Hills district.
Raja Raghuvanshi, a transport businessman from Indore, was allegedly killed by men hired by his wife. In addition to Sonam, three other individuals have been arrested, including Akash Rajput from Lalitpur and two others from Indore, bringing the total number of arrests in the case to five.
Raja and Sonam had gone missing while vacationing in Sohra, Meghalaya, on May 23, and his body was discovered in a gorge near the Weisawdong waterfalls on June 2. Sonam had been untraceable since the incident.
Ghazipur SP Iraz Raja mentioned that Sonam was found at ‘Kashi Dhaba’ on the Varanasi-Ghazipur main road. She was first taken to Sadar Hospital for treatment and then moved to a one-stop center that offers support to women in distress, including medical and legal assistance.
An employee at the dhaba revealed that Sonam requested a phone to contact her parents in Indore, which led to the Madhya Pradesh Police tracking her down. Subsequently, the Uttar Pradesh Police were alerted, resulting in her arrest.
