Guwahati: Meghalaya Police are set to reconstruct the high-profile Raja Raghuvanshi murder case following the arrest of his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, and four other accused.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Meghalaya police aims to recreate the sequence of events at Sohra, where the authorities discovered Raja’s body in a gorge on June 2.
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Sonam Raghuvanshi, whom police accuse of conspiring in her husband’s murder, surrendered to police in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, on Tuesday. Alongside her, authorities also apprehended four other individuals from Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh in connection with the crime. Later, a court granted all five accused transit remand, and authorities have brought them to Shillong.
“The SIT that brought Sonam arrived here shortly before midnight. The police took Sonam to a hospital here around 2 am to ascertain whether she was pregnant or not,” a senior Meghalaya police official stated. Vivek Syiem, Superintendent of Police, East Khasi Hills district, confirmed that Sonam’s pregnancy test results were negative.
SP Vivek Syiem stated that the SIT will seek police custody for all five accused when they appear in court today. The importance of the crime scene reconstruction in Sohra is to corroborate details. Police have already secured a six-day remand for individuals arrested from Indore and a three-day custody for one arrested from Ghazipur.
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According to reports as the investigation progresses, new details are emerging, including allegations that Sonam Raghuvanshi offered Rs 20 lakh to the killers for the crime.
A Meghalaya police officer revealed that Sonam allegedly paid an advance of Rs 15,000 to the hired assailants, reportedly taken directly from her husband’s wallet.
Initially, one of the accused, Raj Kushwaha, reportedly cancelled his plan to travel to Meghalaya at the last moment and allegedly advised the others not to go. However, the three other accused proceeded with the trip after Sonam booked their tickets. Despite their initial refusal to kill Raja, police allege Sonam insisted, promising an additional Rs 15 lakh for the murder.
SP Vivek Syiem cited the strong indicators of a conspiracy: “The FIR clearly mentions that the accused persons murdered Raja with a dao (machete). Sonam’s involvement in paying the killers and offering a large sum afterwards strongly points to a conspiracy. We are analysing all evidence to ensure a thorough investigation.”
“Police plan to bring Sonam and the three alleged killers to the crime location to recreate the sequence of events and confront them with collected evidence. Police will also take Sonam to the site where she allegedly helped dispose of the body, ” the SP added.
Notably, Raja Raghuvanshi and his wife were vacationing in Meghalaya’s Sohra area when they went missing on May 23. Later the authorities found Raja Raghuvanshi’s body in a gorge on June 2.