OpIndia’s false Bangladesh trafficking claim on Sonam Raghuvanshi case backfires
Mohammad Zubair highlights propaganda
Indore: As the investigation into Sonam Raghuvanshi’s disappearance and her husband Raja Raghuvanshi’s murder unfolded, extremist groups and media outlets like OpIndia spread false claims that Sonam had been trafficked to Bangladesh. These baseless allegations sought to stir communal hatred against the indigenous communities of Northeast India. However, official police findings have thoroughly disproved these narratives.
Sonam and Raja, a couple from Indore, Madhya Pradesh, had first visited the Kamakhya temple in Assam before proceeding to Meghalaya for their honeymoon. After a few days, they went missing, leading to a large-scale search. Raja’s body was later found near a hillside in Meghalaya with post-mortem reports confirming his murder by a wood-cutting machine. Sonam was traced and arrested in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, where she was found safe and questioned by police. She is now accused of hiring men to murder her husband.
Before the facts emerged, right-wing platforms such as OpIndia propagated a false story claiming Sonam had been trafficked to Bangladesh.
Prominent fact checker Mohammad Zubair addressed these false narratives in a recent social media post, pointing out how such misinformation exploits tragedies for communal propaganda. Zubair reminded his followers that Sonam was safely found in Ghazipur, not Bangladesh, thus debunking trafficking rumours.
Research scholar Anshuman Chaudhary also noted on X, how extremist factions attempted to manipulate this case to fuel ethnic hatred and division. The investigation revealed a more complex truth: Sonam is implicated along with others in Raja’s murder, currently under police custody.
Sonam Raghuvanshi who went missing in Meghalaya was arrested from Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly murdering her husband. But here, propaganda website @OpIndia_com earlier claimed that the wife was suspected to be trafficked to Bangladesh. pic.twitter.com/K6D2BU7Uzm
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) June 9, 2025
The whole incident also sparked intense racism against the Northeast. Twitter was full of comments about how savage the region’s tribals are & how “NE, like Kashmir, should be avoided.” Sanghis had their own sideshow on trafficking to Bangladesh. Cesspool of a public discourse. https://t.co/Vv69kZdML6
— Angshuman Choudhury (@angshuman_ch) June 9, 2025
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Man killed in flat ceiling plaster crash, wife and son hurt
Thane (PTI): A 45-year-old man was killed, and his wife and son were injured when a portion of plaster from the ceiling collapsed in their flat in a seven-storey building in Thane on Saturday, officials said.
Chief of the Regional Disaster Management Cell, Yasin Tadvi, said the 16-year-old building is not listed in the "dangerous" category.
"The incident occurred in Karumdev Society at about 3 am. The plaster of the hall in a flat on the terrace floor suddenly fell while the occupants were asleep", he said.
Of the four people who were inside the room, two suffered minor injuries and were discharged after primary treatment, Tadvi stated.
The injured persons were identified as Arpita More (42), who suffered minor head injuries, and her son Arush More (16), who sustained injuries to both legs.
Manoj More (45), who sustained chest injuries, died during treatment at a private hospital.
