In the Meghalaya honeymoon murder case, accused wife Sonam was produced before Ghazipur court for transit remand. DGP I Nongrang stated that her husband Raja Raghuvanshi was allegedly murdered by men she had hired.
Lucknow: A woman from Indore, Sonam Raghuvanshi (24), accused of hiring individuals to murder her husband during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, turned herself in to the Uttar Pradesh Police in Ghazipur on Monday.
Another suspect was apprehended in Lalitpur district, according to police reports.
Sonam was presented in a local court in Ghazipur on Monday night to secure transit remand permission, after which a team from Meghalaya Police arrived to take her into custody.
The court proceedings extended late into the night.
Meghalaya’s DGP, I Nongrang, stated that Raja Raghuvanshi, a transport businessman from Indore, was allegedly killed by men hired by his wife. In addition to Sonam, three other individuals have been arrested, including Akash Rajput from Lalitpur and two others from Indore, bringing the total number of arrests in the case to five.
Raja and Sonam had gone missing while vacationing in Sohra, Meghalaya, on May 23, and his body was discovered in a gorge near the Weisawdong waterfalls on June 2. Sonam had been untraceable since the incident.
Ghazipur SP Iraz Raja mentioned that Sonam was found at ‘Kashi Dhaba’ on the Varanasi-Ghazipur main road. She was first taken to Sadar Hospital for treatment and then moved to a one-stop center that offers support to women in distress, including medical and legal assistance.
An employee at the dhaba revealed that Sonam requested a phone to contact her parents in Indore, which led to the Madhya Pradesh Police tracking her down. Subsequently, the Uttar Pradesh Police were alerted, resulting in her arrest.
Around 6:30 PM on Monday, a team from Meghalaya Police took Sonam into custody from the one-stop center. Although she was apprehended at the eatery, authorities stated she surrendered at the Nandganj police station in Ghazipur district.
Earlier that day, her brother Govind arrived in Ghazipur from Meghalaya.
He expressed,
“If she is guilty, she should be hanged. Whatever the government decides, we will accept it.”
When asked if he had spoken to Sonam, Govind replied,
“I don’t know anything as of now. I have no idea. I have not met her. I have not slept for 17 days… I was searching for her with the police in Meghalaya.”
Akash Rajput was arrested in Chauki village in Uttar Pradesh’s Lalitpur district on Sunday night, as confirmed by SP Md Mustaque.
He noted,
“Meghalaya Police is interrogating Rajput. Further legal action will be taken by the concerned state police,”
Earlier, Meghalaya DGP Nongrang indicated that one person had been taken into custody from Uttar Pradesh in connection with Raja Raghuvanshi’s death, while two others were detained in Indore by a special investigation team.
The Raghuvanshi couple had embarked on their honeymoon after marrying on May 11, departing for Meghalaya on May 20.
They arrived in Mawlakhiat village on May 22 on a rented scooter, which was later found abandoned outside a cafe along the Shillong-Sohra road on May 24, prompting a search for the couple.