The murder of Raja Raghuvanshi during his honeymoon in Meghalaya was unravelled after investigators found a mangalsutra and a ring left behind in a suitcase by his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, at a Sohra homestay, Meghalaya Police said.
The ornaments became the first crucial lead in what turned out to be a chilling case of contract killing, allegedly masterminded by Sonam and her boyfriend.
Raja, 29, and Sonam, 25, who had recently tied the knot in Indore on May 11, reached Meghalaya on May 20 for their honeymoon. The couple vanished on May 23 in Sohra, East Khasi Hills, just hours after checking out of a homestay in Nongriat village.
On June 2, Raja’s body was discovered in a gorge near Weisawdong Falls. The search for Sonam concluded when she surrendered in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur on June 9.
Police also arrested her boyfriend, Raj Kushwaha, along with three contract killers allegedly hired by Sonam to carry out the murder.
Meghalaya Director General of Police (DGP) I Nongrang revealed that a breakthrough in the case came when police recovered a mangalsutra and a ring from the suitcase Sonam had left at the Sohra homestay.
“A married woman leaving behind the ornaments gave us a clue to pursue her as a suspect in the case,” Nongrang said.
According to a police officer involved in the investigation, the couple had arrived at the Sohra homestay on May 22 without prior booking and were unable to secure a room.
They left their luggage at the property and planned to trek over 3,000 steps to reach Nongriat village, famous for its double-decker living root bridge.
The couple spent the night at a homestay in Nongriat and checked out early on May 23. After trekking back to Sohra, they collected their scooter from a parking area and rode toward Weisawdong Falls.
It was at this location that Raja was allegedly murdered in front of Sonam by the three hired assassins.
A tour guide later informed police that he had seen the couple accompanied by three Hindi-speaking men while trekking back from Nongriat to Sohra, a detail that significantly aided the investigation.
“All the accused have admitted to the crime, and with all the evidence gathered, there is no room for denial,” the officer added.
The police on Wednesday also said that all five accused have confessed to their roles in murdering Raja.
A court in Shillong has since remanded Sonam, her boyfriend, Raj Kushwaha, and the three contract killers to eight days of police custody as the probe into the gruesome murder continues.
