'Sonam planned murder on May 18': Chilling details in honeymoon murder case | Top points

According to Indore’s Additional Deputy Police Commissioner Rajesh Dandotiya, Sonam conspired with her former partner, Raj Kushwaha, to kill Raja.

Sonam Raghuvanshi, accused of murdering her husband Raja Raghuvanshi during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, was arrested in the early hours of Monday after a dramatic reappearance and ‘surrender’ that followed an over two-week-long search for her.

Raja Raghuvanshi's body was found on June 2 from a deep gorge near Wei Sawdong Falls in Sohra. (ANI )

Apart from Sonam Raghuvanshi, three others were arrested for the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi, including a man she was allegedly in an affair with.

A court in Ghazipur sent Sonam in a three-day transit remand to Meghalaya police. As per HT, Sonam was presented in the CJM court late on Monday night, where the court granted her three-day transit remand.

Now, the Meghalaya police is taking her to Meghalaya on transit remand

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajesh Dandotia told PTI that the Meghalaya police arrested the trio, Raj Kushwaha, Vishal Chauhan and Akash Rajput, and produced them before a Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) in Indore, days after the murder in the north-eastern state. The trio were sent to transit custody of the Meghalaya police for seven days.

Raja's wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, had been missing since his body was found. Sonam reportedly surrendered before the Nandganj Police Station in Ghazipur district in adjoining Uttar Pradesh and was later placed under arrest.

Here are some key details in the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case:

• Raja Raghuvanshi's wife, Sonam, who was missing since May 23, surrendered before Uttar Pradesh Police in Ghazipur. She was arrested around 1 am on Monday.
• According to Indore’s Additional Deputy Police Commissioner Rajesh Dandotiya, Sonam conspired with her former partner, Raj Kushwaha, to kill Raja. Dandotiya said Raj Kushwaha, 20, the man Sonam, 25, was in a relationship with, planned the murder on May 18 after the couple got married seven days earlier.
• Kushwaha, who worked at a tile distribution company owned by Sonam's brother, allegedly orchestrated the murder and hired three men - Vishal Chauhan, Anand Kumar, and Akash Rajput - to carry out the murder.
• All three accomplices were allegedly in the area on May 23, the day the couple went missing.
• Kushwaha and Chauhan were arrested in Indore, and Anand Kumar was nabbed in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh.
• Investigators used Sonam's call records to establish her involvement, noting frequent communication with Kushwaha before and during the trip.
• Police say Sonam Raghuvanshi shared the couple's live location with the assassins.
• Raja's body was found on June 2 from a deep gorge near Wei Sawdong Falls in Sohra. A smartwatch on his wrist and a tattoo reading "Raja" on his hand helped confirm his identity.
• According to Meghalaya Special Investigation Team (SIT) chief Herbert Pyniaid Kharkongor, Raja suffered two fatal head injuries, which might have been inflicted by a sharp weapon.
• Raja’s mother, Uma Raghuvanshi, said Sonam planned for their honeymoon and took ₹9 lakhs from Raja to book tickets and hotels. She even insisted on taking all the jewellery with them on the honeymoon.

Raja Raghuvanshi's murder

After their marriage on May 11, Sonam and Raja left for Meghalaya on May 20 for their honeymoon. They reached Mawlakhiat village in the northeastern state on May 22 on a rented scooter.

On May 24, the scooter was found abandoned outside a cafe along the Shillong-Sohra road, following which a search for it began. A Meghalaya Police SIT, headed by an SP and assisted by four DSPs, is probing the matter.