New Delhi: Police have taken Sonam Raghuvanshi into custody regarding the murder of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, an Indore businessman who went missing during their honeymoon in Meghalaya and was later discovered deceased days after his disappearance.
Raja Raghuvanshi’s remains were located on June 2, and what initially seemed to be an accidental death evolved into a murder investigation following the discovery of a machete, which is believed to be the murder weapon.
The finding of Raja Raghuvanshi’s body triggered an extensive search for his newly married wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, who was initially thought to have been kidnapped by her family and in-laws.
Raja and Sonam Raghuvanshi departed for their honeymoon from Indore to Shillong on May 20 and were reported missing on May 23. On Monday, after a search lasting over two weeks, Sonam Raghuvanshi was located at a roadside eatery in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, more than 1,200 kilometers from Meghalaya.
According to police reports, Sonam Raghuvanshi allegedly confessed to the murder of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, and indicated that a man she was reportedly having an affair with, Raj Kushwaha, was also implicated and is now in custody.
Amitabh Yash, the Additional Director General (Law & Order, UP), stated: “Sonam notified her family that she was at a dhaba near Ghazipur. Her family relayed this information to the Indore Police, who promptly contacted the UP Police. The Ghazipur Police then found Sonam at the dhaba. She was taken for a medical examination at Sadar Hospital and subsequently sent to the One Stop Center in Meghalaya.”
Sonam reached out to her family late Sunday night and was located at a roadside restaurant in Nandganj, Ghazipur, at 1 am on Monday, according to police reports.
Rajesh Dandotiya, Indore’s additional deputy police commissioner, mentioned that Raj Kushwaha, 20, the individual Sonam, 25, was involved with, orchestrated the murder on May 18, just seven days after the couple’s wedding, as previously reported by Hindustan Times. Raj Kushwaha is said to have enlisted Vishal Chauhan, Anand Kumar, and Akash Rajput to carry out the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi. All of them are currently in custody.
The police report that Sonam hired hitmen to murder her husband during their honeymoon. His remains were discovered in a ditch in the East Khasi Hills region of Meghalaya on June 2. Various agencies were engaged in the search for Sonam Raghuvanshi, who was thought to be missing. She turned herself in during the early hours of Monday, with authorities stating that her surrender was under duress.
Arrests made
SP East Khasi Hills Vivek Syiem indicated that Sonam surrendered following the police’s raids and the apprehension of the suspected assassins.
“It is true that she contacted her relatives, but this occurred only after all the raids had taken place. If you examine the logical sequence of events, she had not emerged until last night when the others were apprehended, and then she also appeared,” he informed the press.
To date, five individuals have been detained in connection with the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi, including Sonam Raghuvanshi.
SP Vivek Syiem noted that the first arrest occurred in Uttar Pradesh, followed by two more in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. It was at this point that Sonam Raghuvanshi chose to surrender.
“The initial suspect arrested was Akash Rajput, a 19-year-old from Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh. The second was Vishal Singh Chauhan, 22, from Indore, Madhya Pradesh. The third was Raj Singh Khushwaha, 21, also from Indore,” Syiem disclosed to news agency PTI.
He further mentioned that the fifth suspect was apprehended in the Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh on Monday afternoon.
“Sonam Raghuvanshi is presently in police custody. This afternoon, we arrested Anand Kurmi, a 23-year-old from Sagar district, Madhya Pradesh,” the SP stated.
