A lower court in Meghalaya on Wednesday sent Sonam Raghuvanshi, the prime accused in the murder of her husband Raja Raghuvanshi, and the four key conspirators, to eight-day police custody, an official said.
Sonam together with her aides- Vishal Chauhan, Raj Kushwaha, Akash Rajput and Anand Kurmi – were produced before the Court of Judicial Magistrate First Class, East Khasi Hills district, Don Kitbor Koshy Mihsil on Wednesday, ten days after Meghalaya Police recovered the decomposed body of Raja from a deep gorge below the Wei Sawdong parking lot at Riat Arliang in Sohra.
“We had sought a 10-day police custody for all the five accused. The court granted 8 days of police custody,” Vivek Syiem, the district police chief of East Khasi Hills, said.
He added : “If the investigators feel they would again approach the court to seek additional days of police custody.”
Syiem said the reconstruction of the crime scene at the parking lot of Wai Sawdong Falls, where Raja was allegedly murdered, will be conducted by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Meghalaya Police after all the accused are examined, the role of each one is ascertained and their statements recorded.
“As of now only five are accused in the case. However, as the investigation progresses we will ascertain if other persons are also involved in the case,” he said when if there were more suspects in the murder case.
Earlier, Sonam and her four aides were brought to Shillong on Wednesday from Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International airport in Assam.
Sonam was taken to Ganesh Das Hospital in Shillong for a routine medical examination. She was also examined whether she was pregnant, but the report came out negative.
“There was lot of speculative reports about her pregnancy. We have to ensure that her health is of utmost importance,” Syiem said, adding that the four accused were medically examined within the Sadar police station by a registered government doctors.
Sonam was arrested by the Special Investigation Team on June 9, a day after she surrendered at the Nanganj Police Station in Ghazipur district on Sunday night. Police said the murder of Raja was allegedly plotted by Sonam and her alleged boyfriend Raj Singh Kushwaha, just few days after their wedding on May 11 in Indore. The newly wedded couple arrived in Meghalaya’s capital Shillong from Assam’s main city of Guwahati on May 21 on a honeymoon.
On May 22, the newlywedded couple rode all the way on their rented two wheeler to Sohra, the wettest place on earth, in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills district as part of their honeymoon.
The couple stayed in Shipara Homestay at Nongriat village- home to the famed living double decker root bridge on May 22. They checked out of their homestay in the morning and remained incommunicado with their family members from May 23.
In fact, the missing of the Indore’s honeymooner came to light when villagers found an abandoned two-wheeler, which Sonam and Raja hired from Shillong for four days, on May 24 at Sohrarim village between Shillong and Sohra road.
After a missing report was filed, Meghalaya police launched a search and rescue operation with the State Disaster Response Force, National Disaster Response Force, local people and other agencies to locate the newly wedded couple in Sohra. Eight days later, Meghalaya Police found Raja’s body on June 2 from a deep gorge below the Wei Sawdong parking lot at Riat Arliang in Sohra.
Police said Sonam, together with three others, after allegedly committing the murder of Raja left Sohra and boarded a train to Indore from Assam’s main city of Guwahati on May 24. Meghalaya Police, which codenamed the investigation as ‘Operation Honeymoon’, had collected evidence from the residences and other places frequented by the murder accused in Indore and Ghazipur.
The SIT have seized a machete, believed to be the murder weapon, was recovered near Raja’s dead body The other items recovered at the crime scene include a white shirt, a strip of Pentra 40 tablets, part of an LCD screen from a mobile phone, and a smartwatch worn by the deceased.
M’laya felicitates search & rescue team
The Meghalaya government on Wednesday felicitated the search and rescue team who tirelessly worked to locate Raja Raghuvanshi, tragically found deceased, in one of the most gripping incidents to hit Sohra. The event was held at the Conference Hall of the SDO (Civil), Sohra, to honour all individuals and groups involved in the search and rescue operation of the late Raja Raghuvanshi and the involvement of his wife Sonam Raghuvanshi behind his murder. Speaking at the event, State Tourism Minister, Paul Lyngdoh urged tourists to come with a clean heart and mind, cautioning that harmful or unlawful behaviour would not be tolerated. He also called for self-discipline and responsible tourism among locals.
“Sohra is a land of good spirit and land of good manners. Despite facing unwarranted criticism from beyond our borders, our community stood tall, leading peaceful rally and candle vigil while supporting an extraordinary search effort,” Lyngdoh said.
The Tourism Minister also announced that the Tourism department will work with the Sohra administration to install CCTV cameras in key tourist areas.
Lyngdoh also promised to sanction the construction of a proper facility for street vendors near Mawkdok Bridge, supporting both public convenience and local livelihoods.
Describing tourists as extended family, Sohra MLA, Gavin M. Mylliem emphasised the importance of collaboration between the government, dorbars, and community leaders to strengthen the tourism ecosystem. Mylliem thanked the Meghalaya Police for their professionalism and swift action. Director of Tourism, Cyril V.D. Diengdoh, highlighted critical initiatives to improve tourism management, first, the Tourist Buddy Program: engaging and training local people to serve as certified tourist guides and; MTIME App.
Hang her if she is guilty: Sonam’s brother
Sonam Raghuvanshi’s brother Govind on Wednesday said that that if his sister is guilty of murdering her husband Raja Raghuvanshi, then she should be hanged.
Claiming that Raja Raghuvanshi was close to him, Govind said that his family had severed all ties with Sonam – who remains in the custody of Meghalaya police and is being interrogated for allegedly being involved in the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi.
“If Sonam is the culprit, she should be hanged,” Govind told reporters after visiting Raja’s family.
He said his family will fight on behalf of Raja Raghuvanshi.