‘Loose ends being tied up’: Meghalaya DGP says honeymoon murder not just about love triangle
Raja Raghuvanshi was killed on May 23 while on his honeymoon in Meghalaya. His wife Sonam, her partner Raj were arrested in connection with the case on June 9.
Meghalaya police chief Idashisha Nongrang on Monday said investigators were not treating the love triangle as the only motive in the murder of Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi in Sohra, and were examining several other angles.
Raja Raghuvanshi was killed on May 23 while on his honeymoon in Meghalaya. His wife Sonam, her partner Raj, and three hired attackers were arrested in connection with the case on June 9.
“Frankly speaking, I still find it difficult to accept the motive that has been given by the accused, and it doesn't sit really well. We are looking to see if there is anything additional, ” DGP Idashisha Nongrang told reporters.
“I find it very difficult to believe that a person would generate so much animosity that within a couple of days of marriage, you plot to kill the person. On the surface, it appears to be a love triangle, but personally I wouldn’t believe that it’s the only motive,” Nongrang added.
She said that the investigation is progressing well, with “loose ends being tied up,” and the police are working to file a chargesheet on time with a strong and foolproof case backed by sufficient evidence.
“The investigation is going on, a lot of the loose ends are being tied up and we are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the investigation is foolproof and that we have a very solid case. We have enough evidence and are working to ensure that the case is chargesheeted within the mandated time,” she added.
Sonam (25) and Raja Raghuvanshi (29) were married in Indore on May 11 and travelled to Meghalaya via Guwahati, Assam, on May 21 for their honeymoon.
On May 23, both were reported “missing” in Sohra, located in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills district, just hours after they had checked out of a homestay in Nongriat village.
Raja’s decomposed body was discovered on June 2 in a deep gorge near Weisawdong Falls. A search operation continued for Sonam, who surfaced in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, around 1,200 km away, in the early hours of June 9.
She surrendered to police on the same day her boyfriend and three contract killers were arrested in connection with the murder.
Sonam told police Raja’s missing jewellery was in a ‘particular place’
Idashisha Nongrang said that Sonam revealed during interrogation that Raja’s missing jewellery had been kept in a “particular place.”
“We will be looking into that,” Nongrang said.
Police said all five arrested persons will be taken to Sohra around 12 pm on Tuesday for a reconstruction of the crime scene.
Investigators said the hitmen, who were friends of Raj, attacked Raja with a machete, striking his head in front of Sonam in the parking area of Weisawdong Falls. They then pushed his body into the gorge.
Following the murder, Sonam fled the state, using taxis, buses, and a train to travel through Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh, before reaching Indore.
However, she left behind her mangalsutra and a ring in her trolley bag at the homestay in Sohra. This raised suspicions and helped police begin tracing her, DGP Nongrang had earlier told PTI.
With PTI inputs
