Raja Raghuvanshi, a tourist from Indore, Madhya Pradesh, was allegedly murdered during his honeymoon in Meghalaya by men hired by his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi. The disturbing development was confirmed by Meghalaya Director General of Police I Nongrang on Monday.
Sonam surrendered at Nandganj police station in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, while three other suspects involved in the crime were arrested during overnight raids. Of those arrested, two men were from Indore and one from Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh. Another suspect was taken into custody on Monday from Sagar district in Madhya Pradesh, according to East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem.
The couple had gone missing on May 23 while holidaying in Sohra in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district. After an extensive search, Raja’s body was recovered from a deep gorge near Weisawdong Falls on June 2. Following this, authorities intensified efforts to locate Sonam, who later turned herself in. DGP Nongrang stated that the arrests were carried out by the Special Investigation Team, which apprehended two individuals in Indore and one in Uttar Pradesh. She confirmed that Sonam was arrested after her surrender and that the men taken into custody confessed that she had orchestrated the killing by hiring them.
East Khasi Hills SP Vivek Syiem identified the arrested men as Akash Rajput, 19, from Lalitpur; Vishal Singh Chauhan, 22, from Indore; and Raj Singh Khushwaha, 21, also from Indore. Later, Anand Kurmi, 23, from Sagar district, Madhya Pradesh, was also arrested.
Earlier in the day, Uttar Pradesh ADG Law and Order Amitabh Yash reported that Sonam, aged 24 and a resident of Govindnagar Khadsa, Indore, had been found near a dhaba on the Varanasi–Ghazipur highway. She was taken to Sadar Hospital for initial treatment and then moved to a one-stop centre, which offers support to women in distress.
According to a statement from Meghalaya Police, Sonam remains in UP Police custody, and necessary legal procedures are being followed for her transit. The police said that the arrests represent a major breakthrough in solving the case and highlighted that the outcome was the result of continuous efforts by the Special Investigation Team, with support from the State Disaster Response Force, National Disaster Response Force, and law enforcement units from multiple states.
Later in the day, Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong confirmed that the final suspect had been apprehended. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma praised the swift action by the police and noted that within just seven days, a significant development had occurred. He posted on X that the three men from Madhya Pradesh had been arrested, the woman had surrendered, and operations were ongoing to capture the remaining accused.
On Saturday, said that a local guide named Albert Pde had seen the couple on May 23 climbing over 3,000 steps from Nongriat to Mawlakhiat around 10 am, accompanied by three other men. Albert recognised the couple from the previous day when he had offered to guide them to the living root bridges of Nongriat. Though they declined his offer, he recalled them clearly. He noted that the three men were speaking Hindi, suggesting they were not local residents.
The case has triggered calls for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said he had requested Union Home Minister Amit Shah to transfer the investigation to the CBI. Sonam's family also demanded a CBI inquiry, expressing dissatisfaction with the Meghalaya police's handling of the case.
Her father, Devi Singh, claimed that Sonam had been abducted and was still in captivity. He accused the Meghalaya police of negligence and said that had his request for Army deployment been acted upon earlier, the couple might have been found safe.
Raja and Sonam were married on May 11 and left for Meghalaya on May 20 for their honeymoon. They reached Mawlakhiat on May 22 on a rented scooter. The scooter was found abandoned near a café along the Shillong–Sohra road on May 24, prompting the start of the search operation. The case is being investigated by a Special Investigation Team led by a Superintendent of Police and assisted by four Deputy Superintendents.
Also Read: Missing Indore woman held for killing husband in Meghalaya
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