Sonam Raghvanshi, accused of orchestrating her husband Raja Raghuvanshi’s murder in Meghalaya during their honeymoon, has been taken to Phulwari Sharif police station in Bihar's Patna by Meghalaya police. Sonam was arrested in Uttar Pradesh during the early hours of Monday and is being taken to Shillong by Meghalaya police after getting a three-day transit remand of her, reported ANI.
The visuals from the police station show Sonam Raghuvanshi sitting in a corner at Phulwari Sharif police station dressed in all black, possibly the clothes she was arrested in. Her head and face is also covered with a black scarf as people around her are seen moving chairs and tables.
Meghalaya police, which is investigating the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi, achieved a breakthrough in the case on Monday after a series of arrests linked to the murder. While Sonam Raghuvanshi was arrested from a dhaba in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur, three men with whom she allegedly conspired to kill her husband were also arrested on Monday.
{{/usCountry}}Meghalaya police, which is investigating the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi, achieved a breakthrough in the case on Monday after a series of arrests linked to the murder. While Sonam Raghuvanshi was arrested from a dhaba in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur, three men with whom she allegedly conspired to kill her husband were also arrested on Monday.
{{/usCountry}}Also read: Raj Kushwaha drove people to Raja Raghuvanshi's funeral, says eyewitness
After being arrested in Uttar Pradesh, Sonam was kept at the Sakhi One Stop Centre in Ghazipur on Monday, following which Meghalaya police took her into custody.
Among the men who have been arrested are Raj Kushwaha, 21, who is also Sonam’s alleged boyfriend and Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan, who were allegedly hired to commit the crime. Out of these three men, Kushwaha and Chauhan were arrested in Indore, while Rajput was arrested in Uttar Pradesh’s Lalitpur. One more accused, named Anand Kurmi, has also been arrested from Madhya Pradesh. All these men are also being taken to Meghalaya for investigation.
Additional DCP (Crime) Rajesh Dandotiya told ANI, "They were presented before the CJM Judge, and Shillong police got a 7-day transit remand. The fourth accused, Anand, is being brought to Indore from Sagar, Bina (Madhya Pradesh), and will be produced in court on Tuesday. All four will be taken to Shillong by Shillong Police."
What Sonam Raghuvanshi told police
While being kept at the one-stop centre in Ghazipur, staffers told HT that Sonam has rejected the allegations of murder.
"After she woke up later in the afternoon, she said she was kidnapped and said she did not kill anyone,” said a staffer, requesting anonymity.
Sonam’s family has also denied her involvement in the murder and has asked for a CBI inquiry into the matter.
Raja Raghuvanshi’s murder
Sonam is accused of getting her husband Raja Raghuvanshi killed during their honeymoon in Meghalaya. The couple got married on May 11 and went to Meghalaya just days later. On May 23, the couple went missing and just ten days later, on June 2, Raja’s body was recovered in a gorge near Weisawdong Falls in the East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya.