Who plotted Raja Raghuvanshi’s murder in Meghalaya? Shocking claims by Sonam, 'lover' Raj Kushwaha
Sonam Raghuvanshi told the police that during their trip, a group of men tried to steal her jewellery, and Raja Raghuvanshi died while trying to protect her.
The honeymoon murder of Indore resident Raja Raghuvanshi has taken yet another dramatic turn, with the two main accused — his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, and her alleged lover Raj Singh Kushwaha — reportedly giving conflicting accounts of the events leading to the crime.
This blame game is complicating the investigation for the Meghalaya police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is trying to piece together what really happened.
The SIT, under "Operation Honeymoon", has recovered necessary evidence from both Indore and Ghazipur to reconstruct the chain of events leading to the discovery of Raja's body in Meghalaya's Sohra region.
Sonam Raghuvanshi’s account of the incident
On suspicion of hiring contract killers, Sonam Raghuvanshi was flown to Guwahati late Tuesday and brought to Shillong for questioning on Wednesday.
Also read | ‘Was attacked in Meghalaya, Raja died saving me’: Sonam Raghuvanshi spins new story in honeymoon murder case
According to a Live Hindustan report, Sonam Raghuvanshi told investigators that a group of men attempted to snatch her jewellery during the trip, and that her husband, Raja, died while trying to protect her.
She further claimed that she lost consciousness during the incident and had no recollection of how she ended up in Ghazipur.
The cops are closely examining her version of the events, believing it to be a larger part of the cover-up.
Also read | How Sonam Raghuvanshi escaped after husband Raja Raghuvanshi's chilling murder in Meghalaya
Meghalaya deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong said that “several suspects... have confessed” and confirmed that Sonam was “fully involved.”
Authorities suspect that after Raja’s death, Sonam drove from Shillong to Guwahati, then reached Indore on May 27 by train. The next day, she went to Ghazipur, home of Raj Kushwaha, leading to her arrest on June 9.
Raj Kushwaha's version of events
Raj Kushwaha, who is also being questioned, has claimed that he pulled out of the trip to Meghalaya at the last moment and tried to stop the others from going too.
A senior police officer told Hindustan Times, “Raj Kushwaha claims he didn’t want to support Sonam, and at the last moment, cancelled his plan to go to Meghalaya. He also allegedly asked the three others not to go, but they went to see Meghalaya after Sonam booked the tickets.”
Also read | Who is Raj Kushwaha? Raja Raghuvanshi's brother makes big claim on Sonam Raghuvanshi
“Even at the last moment, the three refused to kill, but Sonam insisted and said she would give ₹15 lakh for that. Police are verifying these claims,” the officer added.
Several media reports claimed that Sonam was ready to push Raja off the cliff herself if the hired killers backed out.
Also read | ‘Never talked about Sonam, wasn’t planning to marry’: Raj Kushwaha’s sister on his future plans
Meanwhile, Sonam’s father, Devi Singh Raghuvanshi, has accused the Meghalaya Police of framing his daughter and demanded a CBI investigation. On the other hand, Raja’s mother, Uma Raghuvanshi, believes her son was tricked into travelling to Shillong under false pretences.
Raja, who got married on May 11, was reported missing along with Sonam during their honeymoon in Meghalaya. His body was found 10 days later, on June 2, in a deep gorge near a waterfall in Sohra, East Khasi Hills district.
