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Sonam Raghuvanshi, 4 co-accused to be produced in Shillong court today; SIT aims for swift chargesheet filing
Sonam Raghuvanshi, prime accused in her husband Raja's murder, arrives in Shillong for court proceedings along with four others.
Shillong: Sonam Raghuvanshi, the prime accused in the brutal murder of her husband Raja Raghuvanshi in Meghalaya's Sohra, arrived in Shillong late on Tuesday night, where she will be produced before the court on Wednesday, along with four other accused arrested for their involvement in the crime.
A Meghalaya Police escort team reached Guwahati with Sonam around 11 pm and left for Shillong, nearly two hours away, from there. East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem confirmed the development and said the five accused will be produced before the court on Wednesday. “We will also be seeking police custody to carry forward the investigation,” he said.
Sonam was apprehended from Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur after she surrendered at the Nandganj Police Station. The four others have been identified as Raj Kushwaha, 21, Sonam’s alleged paramour; Akash Rajput, 19, arrested from Lalitpur; Vishal Singh Chauhan, 22, and Anand Kuli, 23, both arrested from Indore.
SP Syiem informed that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) is also considering taking all five accused to the crime scene at Wei Sawdong Falls near Sohra to reconstruct the sequence of events.
Confident of filing a strong chargesheet within a short period, the SP said, “We aim to submit the chargesheet swiftly. The SIT has made substantial progress and within just seven days, we have collected strong evidence against the accused. We will now focus on corroborating these findings with additional evidence to ensure a watertight case.”
Regarding the selection of Wei Sawdong Falls as the location for the murder, Syiem said this detail is still under investigation. “According to Sonam, she has never visited Shillong before. However, there are reports suggesting she may have been here earlier. We are verifying whether she specifically selected Wei Sawdong because she knew the place.”
Syiem also confirmed that all the accused fled Sohra after the murder and discarded their mobile phones and SIM cards to erase evidence. However, police investigations have revealed that Sonam was in continuous contact with Raj Kushwaha on the day of the murder, and Raj, in turn, was coordinating with the three contract killers.
Authorities are also investigating the monetary aspect of the crime — particularly how much the three men were paid for executing the murder.
CCTV camera footage from multiple locations has played a critical role in tracing the accused and strengthening the investigation, Syiem revealed. “That is why we have urged all homestays and establishments in tourist-heavy areas to install CCTV cameras. Even the smallest piece of footage can become crucial evidence,” he added.
As the case progresses rapidly with multiple leads being tied together, Meghalaya Police said they are determined to pursue the investigation to its logical end and ensure justice is delivered.
