2 Women, 2 Killings: A Murder Like Raja Raghuvanshi's Shook Bengaluru 22 Years Ago
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Raja Raghuvanshi's murder in Shillong, allegedly plotted by his wife Sonam and her lover, mirrors the 2003 Bengaluru case where Shubha killed her partner with her lover's help
The gruesome murder of Indore man Raja Raghuvanshi during what was supposed to be a romantic honeymoon in Shillong, Meghalaya, sent shockwaves across the country. As police unspooled the chilling plot involving his newlywed wife Sonam and her alleged lover, Raj Kushwaha, many were reminded of a hauntingly similar crime that unfolded over two decades ago in Bengaluru – one that remains etched in public memory for its cold calculation and betrayal.
On November 30, 2003, 27-year-old software engineer Girish was engaged to Shubha Shankarnarayan, a seemingly well-mannered and soft-spoken 21-year-old woman. Their families, long-time neighbours in Bengaluru's Banashankari area, had known each other for years. What should have been a happy union took a sinister turn within just four days.
On the night of December 3, Shubha invited Girish for dinner near the HAL Airport. After their meal, she suggested they stay back to watch planes land, a romantic setting with deadly intent. As Girish gazed skyward, he was suddenly attacked from behind with a blunt weapon. Shubha rushed him to Manipal Hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries before help could arrive.
Initially, Shubha told police that a stranger had ambushed them. But the investigators weren't convinced. Something about her story didn't add up.
Digging into her phone records, detectives discovered she had exchanged 74 calls and messages that night with a man named Arun, her alleged lover. Further investigation revealed a deadly conspiracy of Shubha being in love with Arun and resenting her family's decision to marry her off to Girish.
With the help of three accomplices – Arun, Venkatesh, and Dinkar – Subha orchestrated the murder. All four were arrested and, in 2010, sentenced to life imprisonment by a Sessions Court. The Karnataka High Court upheld the verdict, but in 2014, the Supreme Court granted Shubha bail. The story later inspired a Kannada film, Ring Road Shubha, notably produced by an all-women crew.
Fast forward to May 2024, newlyweds Raja and Sonam Raghuvanshi had travelled from Indore to Meghalaya for their honeymoon, seemingly beginning a new chapter in life. After checking out of a guest house in Shillong on May 22, the couple headed toward Sohra (Cherrapunji), famous for its rain-drenched cliffs and deep valleys. They never returned.
Days later, Raja's rented scooter was found abandoned on the edge of a forest trail. On June 2, his mutilated body was recovered from a deep gorge near Weisadong Falls. Scattered near the body were torn clothes, broken mobile phone parts, and a blood-stained raincoat – signs that this was no hiking mishap.
While Sonam was initially presumed missing, she resurfaced on June 8 in a shocking twist. She walked into a police station in Uttar Pradesh and confessed that she had, indeed, plotted Raja's murder. According to police, Sonam revealed she had never wanted to marry Raja, but family pressure left her with few choices. Her heart, she said, belonged to Raj Kushwaha, an accountant at her father's textile firm.
Sonam and Raj, in collusion with three hired killers, lured Raja to a secluded area in Sohra. There, as per her confession, he was ambushed, brutally assaulted, and thrown into the gorge to erase all traces. What was meant to be a scenic honeymoon had instead been the staging ground for a calculated murder.
In both crimes, the thread of betrayal runs deep. Women engaged or newly married against their will, chose to eliminate their partners with the help of lovers rather than confront societal or familial pressure. The use of secluded locations, fabricated stories, and digital footprints that ultimately unraveled the truth – each detail underscores the chilling similarities.
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