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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Malayalam actor Rajesh Keshav in ICU after cardiac arrest
Kochi (PTI): Malayalam actor Rajesh Keshav is in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after suffering a cardiac arrest on August 24, hospital sources said on Wednesday.
The 47-year-old actor, known for notable roles in various films and TV shows, was admitted to the hospital on Sunday night after collapsing at a city hotel.
He was first taken to the Emergency Department and successfully revived through immediate resuscitation, the hospital said in a statement.
Keshav was then shifted to the Cath Lab, where an emergency angioplasty was performed, it said, adding that he had suffered a prolonged cardiac arrest, which resulted in a moderate hypoxic injury.
The Neuro Wing is closely monitoring his neurological recovery, and encouraging signs of progress are being observed, they explained.
"At present, he remains in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) under advanced life support," the statement said.
His condition is serious but showing gradual improvement, with a multidisciplinary team of doctors actively involved in his treatment, it added.
