Shillong, June 12: Meghalaya Police have begun the interrogation of Sonam Raghuvanshi and four others in the murder case of Raja Raghuvanshi, a newly-wed tourist from Indore who was killed in Sohra.
Raja was killed at the parking lot of Wei Sawdong Falls on May 23 and thrown into deep gorge next to it. His body was found from the gorge on June 2, after 10 days of intensive search that included personnel from Meghalaya Police, SDRF, sniffer dogs, and drones.
Sonam and four other accused in the murder case – Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan, Anand Kurmi, and Raj Kushwaha – were sent to 8 days of police custody on Wednesday by the Court of the District and Sessions Judge in Shillong.
According to East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police, Vivek Syiem, here are the major revelations in the case:
1. Raj Kushwaha was the ‘mastermind’ of the murder and Sonam was the co-conspirator.
2. The murder plan was made 11 days before the marriage
3. The killers wanted to kill Raja Raghuvanshi at multiple locations but none were favourable
4. They had planned to kill Raja in Guwahati, then in Nongriat, Mawlakhiat
5. He was killed in the parking lot of Wei Sawdong Falls
6. Sonam helped to throw his body down the gorge
7. Presently, the cause of the murder is love affair and Sonam’s forced marriage
8. Raj and the three hired killers are his friends
9. Raj had given them Rs 50,000 for the travel and stay in Shillong and Guwahati
10. Sonam was in Indore from May 26 to June 8
11. Raj had arranged a vehicle to take Sonam to Siliguri but the plan failed and all were caught
