Sonam returned to Indore after husband’s murder, left for Ghazipur next day: Cops
A senior officer of MP Police, who is assisting the Meghalaya Police in investigation, said that they are looking for CCTV footage of Sonam’s stay in Indore
Bhopal: Sonam Raghuvanshi, whom the Meghalaya police have accused of being the mastermind behind her husband Raja Raghuvanshi’s murder in East Khasi Hill district on May 23, had returned to Indore from Guwahati in a train two days after the crime, and left for Gazipur in Uttar Pradesh, which is the hometown of her alleged boyfriend and main accused in the case, Raj Kushwaha, the next day, according to police officers aware of the details.
A senior officer of the Madhya Pradesh Police, who is assisting the Meghalaya Police in the investigation, said on Tuesday that they are looking for CCTV footage of Sonam’s stay in Indore, which was allegedly arranged by Kushwaha.
“There is some footage of Kushwaha in the locality but we are looking for her footage,” the officer said, adding they were working on the information provided by the Meghalaya police.
The officer quoted above said the Meghalaya police had informed them about Sonam’s return to Indore. Sonam had walked some distance with the three alleged killers and then dispersed. From Shillong, she reached Guwahati in a cab, the officer said.
The officer said in Indore Sonam stayed in a room arranged by Raj Kushwaha. The next day, she left for Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh, where she finally surrendered on June 9 morning.
“Sonam had been hiding in Ghazipur since May 26 and was constantly in touch with Raj and other accused. She surrendered before police after the arrest of Raj Kushwaha by the Meghalaya police,” the officer said.
“It appears that someone informed her about Raj’s arrest and then she surrendered,” the officer said.
The Indore police officer added that Sonam was in contact with Raj even after marriage and on May 16, Raj reportedly discussed the murder plan with his cousin, Vishal Chauhan, and his friends Akash Rajput and Anand Kurmi in a restaurant in Indore.
Chauhan, Rajput and Kurmi left for Meghalaya the next day with ₹50,000 and a mobile phone provided by Raj, who stayed back in Indore and continued to work at the factory of Sonam’s brother.
“In Shillong, the three rented a room in a hotel just one km from the guest house where Sonam and Raja were staying,” said the officer, who did not wish to be named as he is not authorised to talk to the media. On May 22, they followed Sonam and Raja and stayed in a homestay at Sopra.
The family of Raj Kushwaha, who failed to clear 10th and earned ₹12,000 per month at Sonam’s brother’s factory, on Tuesday, claimed that he was not in a relationship with Sonam.
Raj’s younger sister Suhani told reporters that her brother was working at Sonam’s brother’s factory in Indore. “Sonam used to call him for official work and Raj always addressed her by calling Didi. They never talked for more than two to three minutes,” she said.
Claiming that he was “happy” for Sonam’s marriage, she claimed that he even consoled the Raghuvanshi family on Raja’s death and participated in his funeral.
“On Sunday, my brother came back to our residence at around 6 pm. He took a bath, changed clothes and left for Vikki (Vishal Chauhan) Bhaiya’s house and told my mother that he would be back after visiting the temple. He did not come back. Next morning, we got a call from an employee of Govind Bhaiya saying that he wanted to talk. His phone was switched off and later we learnt about his arrest,” she said.
Raja Raghuvanshi’s family alleged that there were more accused.
Raja Raghuvanshi’s brother Vipin Raghuvanshi said, “The family of Sonam Raghuvanshi organised marriage in haste. If they knew about the affair of Sonam and Raj, why didn’t they sack him from the job. Why Sonam had gone to Ghazipur, Raj Kushwaha’s home town. There are more people involved. Police should arrest all those who helped Sonam in hiding after murder,” he said.
His mother Uma Raghuvanshi said, “Sonam stayed here at in-laws’ home only for four days and she used to be busy on her phone.”
