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Meghalaya honeymoon murder: Who is Sanjay Verma, whom Sonam Raghuvanshi called 100 times before marriage?
Honeymoon murder: Sonam made over 100 phone calls to boyfriend before marriage to Raja
A new name has surfaced in the Meghalaya honeymoon murder case — Sanjay Verma — whom Sonam Raghuvanshi contacted over 100 times before her marriage.
Sonam, arrested in connection with the murder of her husband Raja Raghuvanshi, an Indore-based businessman, allegedly conspired with her boyfriend Raj Kushwaha, who hired three hitmen to kill Raja.
He was hacked to death last month in Sohra, East Khasi Hills district, while on honeymoon. All five accused, including Sonam, have been arrested. Police recreated the crime scene on Tuesday as part of the investigation.
Police revealed on Wednesday that Verma was in fact an alias used by her boyfriend Raj Kushwaha.
“We have discovered that Sonam made over 100 phone calls to one Sanjay Verma before her marriage to Raja. The calls continued even after the wedding,” East Khasi Hills district SP Vivek Syiem told PTI.
He said police began a search operation in Indore to trace Verma, whose phone had been switched off.
Investigations later found that Verma was actually Raj Kushwaha, who had masterminded the murder of his girlfriend’s husband, the officer added.
“Our team is in Indore and are questioning a few people to find out if somebody has to gain from Raja's death,” he said.
Meanwhile, accused Sonam Raghuvanshi's brother, Govind, claimed he had no knowledge of anyone named Sanjay Verma.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, he said, “I don't know anything about Sanjay Verma. I had come to show you all the places where Raj used to work. Nothing has been seized from here. I don't know anything about Sanjay. I have also learned today that Sanjay's name is also coming up in this.”
SIT probes financial angle in Raja Raghuvanshi’s murder
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has reached Indore to probe whether there was a financial motive beyond the suspected love triangle behind the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi on May 23, police said.
According to East Khasi Hills SP Rituraj Ravi, the hitmen succeeded in killing Raghuvanshi after three failed attempts. “The earlier attempts were made in Guwahati, Nongriat, and near Weisawdong Falls,” he said.
While Raj Kushwaha is believed to be the mastermind behind the murder, he did not travel to Meghalaya to avoid drawing suspicion. He is employed with a company run by Sonam Raghuvanshi’s family.
Raghuvanshi had married Sonam on May 11 in Indore, and the couple travelled to Meghalaya for their honeymoon on May 20. They were reported missing on May 23 in the Sohra region, about 65 km from Shillong. His decomposed body was found on June 2.
After the murder, Sonam fled the state, travelling through Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh before reaching Indore.
Police said she had left behind her mangalsutra and a ring in a trolley bag at a Sohra homestay, which raised suspicion about her involvement.
With PTI inputs
