Sonam Raghuvanshi may have become infamous in the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case, but the neighbourhood in Indore where her family lives has locally become famous as Sonam gali (lane).
The sobriquet came after the arrest of Sonam and the four youths, including her alleged boyfriend Raj Kushwaha.
This correspondent visited the neighbourhood and spoke to residents there. The following is a first-hand account of the visit:
Govind Nagar Kharcha, where Sonam’s house is located, is distinctly different from where Raja Raghuvanshi’s family lives. Raja’s house is in a colony that is visibly a developed and quiet part of the city. The prestigious institute, Raja Rammna Centre for Advanced Technology, is nearby.
On the other hand, Sonam’s house is in one of the narrow, unorganised lanes of old Indore. What was disturbing for me was how the children in the neighbourhood were speaking about Sonam.
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As I wandered the lanes looking for Sonam’s house, I spotted a group of children, all in the age group of 8-10 years. When I asked them about the address, one of them promptly said, “The one who killed her husband?”
I was taken aback. I asked him how he knew all this. “We saw it in the news on the phone,” was their answer.
They came with me to the lane where Sonam’s house was and then disappeared. As I saw them vanish round a turn, I shuddered at how the television, social media and the barrage of “breaking news” on screen are polluting innocent minds.
A fleeting thought, and I was back in business, back to the system.
At Sonam’s residence, both her parents refused to talk on the pretext of poor health. However, their neighbours were more than willing to speak.
Ajay Suryavanshi, Santram Kaithwas and Amar Vishwakarma were sitting a few yards away from Sonam’s house. According to them, people’s attitude towards this street has changed. Now, everyone is calling it Sonam gali.
The neighbours said they had known Sonam since her childhood. Sonam dropped out of school after Class 10. (Sonam’s mother had said she passed Class 12).
“She used to stay at home most of the time and helped in organising social events in the colony on Navratri, Garba and Bhagwad Gita Paath,” they recollected.
Her family’s financial condition improved in the last 5-6 years when her father’s business started flourishing. About two years ago, Sonam started going to her father’s office. She commuted on an Activa scooter.
The neighbours informed that Raj Kushwaha lived in a room on the top floor of her father’s house. Other workers in his plywood factory also lived in that house. This was the time when Sonam started going to office.
Later, Raj shifted to the Banganga area with his family.
The neighbours also hinted that Sonam was short-tempered. According to a few, Sonam’s demeanour changed after the marriage was confirmed. “Who knows what thoughts she was turning over in her mind?”
