Meghalaya Police have arrested four individuals, including Sonam Raghuvanshi, in connection with the murder of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, during their honeymoon in the northeastern state. Raja, who went missing last month in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills, was allegedly killed as part of a murder plot orchestrated by his wife, according to the police.

According to Meghalaya Director General of Police (DGP) I Nongrang, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrested Sonam Raghuvanshi along with three others. Akash Rajput (19) was arrested in Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh, while Vishal Singh Chauhan (22) and Raj Singh Kushwaha (21) were taken into custody from Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Another accused, Anand Kurmi (23), was arrested from Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district. Kushwaha, who appears to be in a relationship with Sonam, was the handler of the other three accused.

The DGP also confirmed that further arrests are likely as the investigation progresses. “The arrested accused have named some more persons. They revealed that the victim’s wife had hired them,” she added.

Kashi Dhaba owner informed police about Sonam

Sonam had surrendered to police in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur, while others were nabbed by police after that during overnight operations.

A dhaba owner claimed he alerted the police after Sonam approached him, requesting to make a phone call.

“It was about late last night, approximately at 1 AM, when she came to the shop crying and asked to make a phone call. I told her to sit over there, and then I called the police. The police came and took her with them. That’s all that happened,” Kashi Dhaba owner Sahil Yadav said.

‘My daughter is innocent’: Sonam Raghuvanshi’s father

Sonam Raghuvanshi’s father said that her daughter is innocent and is being framed. “My daughter is innocent. I have trust in my daughter. She cannot do this (kill her husband)… They got married with the consent of both families,” Sonam’s father Devi Singh said. 

He also accused the Meghalaya government of lying, saying, “My daughter came to a dhaba in Ghazipur last night and she called her brother…Police went to the dhaba, and she was taken from there. I have not been able to speak to my daughter. Why will my daughter do such a thing (kill her husband)? The Meghalaya Police is lying. My daughter reached Ghazipur on her own. She was not arrested in Meghalaya.” 

“We were thinking of meeting Madhya Pradesh CM and then Union HM Amit Shah to request a CBI inquiry. Meghalaya Police is making up stories. Let the CBI inquiry begin, all officers at the police station (in Meghalaya) will be behind bars….,” he further said.

‘Won’t accept that she killed Raja until she confesses’: Raja’s brother

Raja’s brother, who had demanded a CBI investigation into the murder of her brother, said that the couple were very happy with each other and that he couldn’t accept that she killed her own husband unless she admits it. 

“I spoke to Govind around 2 AM. He informed me that Sonam was found in Uttar Pradesh. After we contacted UP Police, Sonam was taken by the police. She did not surrender. We will not agree that Sonam is the accused until and unless she confesses to this,” Raja Raghuvanshi’s brother, Vipual Raghuvanshi, said.

He added, “Both (Raja and Sonam) were happy in their marriage. I never saw the two fighting. Police have not even handed over the post-mortem report of my brother. Meghalaya CM keeps saying that the police are working 24*7 in this case, but we kept calling the SP, and he never picked up our phone. We have no idea how Sonam reached Ghazipur. We want the Madhya Pradesh Police and the CBI to investigate this case. Shillong Police did not share details with us. I just want to say that if Sonam is involved in this case, she should be punished….”

Meghalaya CM lauds police department

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma also shared a “major breakthrough” post on social media and congratulated the police department of the state. “Within seven days, a major breakthrough has been achieved by the Meghalaya Police in the Raja murder case,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). 

The CM added, “3 assailants who are from Madhya Pradesh have been arrested, the female has surrendered, and the operation is still on to catch one more assailant,” before typing the words, “Well done.”

“Sonam Raghuvanshi called her family members at around 3 AM and informed them that she was present at the Kashi Dhaba on Varanasi-Ghazipur main road. Ghazipur Police took her to the hospital and then to the One Stop Centre in Ghazipur. Meghalaya Police was present in Indore to investigate this case. Sonam Raghuvanshi will be handed over to Meghalaya Police as soon as they reach Ghazipur. UP Police has not interrogated Sonam Raghuvanshi,” said ADG Law and Order Uttar Pradesh, Amitabh Yash.

Indore honeymoon horror

Raja and his wife, Sonam, were reported missing on May 23 during their honeymoon in Meghalaya. The police then launched a search operation for the couple and found Raja’s body in a gorge at Sohrarim near Cherrapunji on June 2, and Sonam was still missing.

During the investigation, a tourist guide informed police that he saw the woman with three other men climbing over 3,000 steps from Nongriat to Mawlakhiat around 10 am on May 23.

The guide was able to recognise them as he had offered to take them to Nongriat the previous day, which the couple declined. Instead, the couple hired another guide named Bha Wansai, and stayed at Shipara Homestay, and returned the next day without a guide. 

“The four men were walking ahead while the woman was behind. The four men were conversing in Hindi, but I could not understand what they were speaking as I know only Khasi and English,” Pde said.

The grieving family has written to the PM and demanded a CBI inquiry into the case. 

“We have written a letter to the Prime Minister requesting a CBI inquiry and submitted it to the commissioner’s office. The way Meghalaya Police are handling the case, they won’t bring justice to Raja,” Vipul Raghuvanshi said. 

(With inputs from ANI, PTI)