Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi's wife, Sonam, and her alleged lover, Raj Kushwaha, are prime suspects in his murder. "Sanjay Verma," a frequent contact in Sonam's phone, was a false identity used by Kushwaha.
In a chilling twist in the murder case of Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, Meghalaya Police on Thursday confirmed that the mysterious "Sanjay Verma" — a name saved in the mobile phone of Raja's wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi — was not who he seemed. In fact, he never existed.
The man behind that name, police say, was Raj Kushwaha, Sonam's alleged lover and now a prime suspect in the brutal killing. East Khasi Hills SP Vivek Syiem said that the name was a front, deliberately used to mask Kushwaha's identity. "Sanjay Verma is just a fictitious name on Truecaller. The person using the SIM card is Raj Kushwaha," Syiem told reporters.
Relationship hidden in plain sight
Behind the tragedy lies a web of deception and betrayal. Phone records have revealed that Sonam and Raj were in constant contact in the weeks leading up to Raja's death. In just 39 days — between March 1 and April 8 — the two exchanged as many as 234 phone calls, some of them lasting as long as an hour.
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Their conversations, now a crucial piece of evidence, paint a picture of a secret relationship that may have turned deadly.
Govind Raghuvanshi, Sonam's brother said that he had no idea who "Sanjay Verma" was — a name that came as a surprise even to him. "I don't know anything about Sanjay Verma... I also just found out that this name is being linked to the case," he said.
Govind, now under the media and investigative spotlight, has agreed to undergo a narco test, a demand made by Raja's grieving family. "I've shared everything I know — with the family and the media. If they want a narco test, I'm ready for it," he said.
He also claimed Sonam may have taken Rs 10,000–Rs 20,000 in cash and two mobile phones when she left home — but left most valuables, including jewellery, untouched.
Cops look for a deeper motive
While the alleged affair between Sonam and Raj remains a major lead, investigators are trying to explore if there's more to this crime than just a love story gone wrong. "We are trying to find out whether there was another motive at play," said a senior police official.
From wedding bells to murder, tragedy timeline:
- May 11: Raja Raghuvanshi marries Sonam in what friends described as a happy and hopeful ceremony.
- May 20: The newlyweds travel to Meghalaya — a trip that would end in tragedy.
- May 23: Raja goes missing under mysterious circumstances.
- June 2: His body is discovered — brutally dumped and triggering a cross-state manhunt.
- June 8: Sonam surrenders in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh.
Days later, Raj Kushwaha and his alleged accomplices — Vishal Chauhan, Akash Rajput, and Anand Kurmi — are arrested from various locations across Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
All five individuals are currently in custody and are being investigated for their alleged involvement in the planning and execution of the murder.
