Sonam Raghuvanshi, now arrested for murdering her husband on their honeymoon, was asked during the matchmaking if she was happy with the wedding proposal from Raja Raghuvanshi’s family, and she said yes, according to her father.As both families struggle to come to terms with the brutal murder and Sonam’s alleged role in it, the question Raja’s family asks is, why did she go ahead with the marriage, and if she had a lover, why not just walk out of it. Why kill Raja?The marriage was fixed through traditional and community-based means, say family sources. The couple tied the knot on May 11 in what both families believed was a well-matched, arranged marriage. Speaking to TOI, Raja’s mother Uma Raghuvanshi recalled, “It all happened like any other arranged marriage. We had submitted Raja’s profile for publication in our community booklet as well as on social media in October last year. When we came across Sonam’s profile and her family reached out, we agreed to meet.”Raja’s family consulted several relatives and acquaintances who lived near Sonam’s family. “Everyone we spoke to had only good things to say about her. Based on their positive feedback, we decided to go ahead,” Uma said. The families met multiple times before the wedding.“They visited our home, and we went to theirs. Everything appeared normal and the atmosphere was warm and welcoming,” she added.Sonam’s father, Devi Singh, said, “When we were discussing the proposal, Sonam was sitting with a friend. I asked her clearly if she had someone else in mind. She immediately said no, and told me she would marry whoever I chose for her,” he told TOI. “In fact, she even asked her friend to tell me not to bring up such questions again, as she fully trusted my decision.” By all appearances, it was a conventional and respectful union — one that both families believed had been carefully and sincerely matched. No one had a clue to the horror that would unfold.
