Sonam Raghuvanshi’s repeated phone calls to a man named ‘Sanjay Verma’ before and after her wedding have led police to a chilling discovery.
“Sonam had saved Raj’s number as ‘Sanjay Verma’, possibly to avoid any suspicion,” police said, as details of the call records emerged. According to officials, Sonam and “Sanjay” were in regular contact, exchanging 234 calls between March 1 and April 8, each conversation lasting between 30 to 60 minutes.
The mobile number saved under “Sanjay Verma” was last active on WhatsApp on June 8 — the same day Sonam surrendered and the other accused in the case were arrested.
On Wednesday, Sonam’s brother Govind claimed complete ignorance about the alias. “I don’t know anything about Sanjay Verma. I have also learned today that Sanjay’s name is also coming up in this,” he told reporters.
The shocking case began as a search for a “missing couple” during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, but quickly turned into a murder investigation. Sonam, who married Raja on May 11 in Indore despite her ongoing relationship with Raj, allegedly orchestrated his murder with the help of three contract killers.
According to the police, Raj was an accountant at the furniture sheet unit owned by Sonam’s family, which she helped manage. The couple vanished on May 23 after checking out from a homestay in Nongriat village. Raja’s body was recovered on June 2, about 20 km away.
Sonam resurfaced in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur on June 8 and surrendered at Nandganj police station. This followed the arrest of the three hitmen — Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan, and Anand Kurmi — from different locations in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Raj Kushwaha was arrested later.
On June 11, Sonam confessed to her role in the crime. Police added that her cousin Jitendra Raghuvanshi had made the first payment to the contract killers.
Govind said his family has severed all ties with Sonam. “We have broken all relations with her,” he said, expressing solidarity with Raja’s family. “We will support them in their fight for justice.”
