The DGP stated that the wife, Sonam, surrendered before the Nandganj Police Station in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur, while the other three were arrested in overnight raids
-1749466675501_d.png "Wife hired men to kill Indore tourist Raja Raghuvanshi during honeymoon in Meghalaya; five held: Police")
Sonam Raghuvanshi, the Indore woman accused of plotting her husband’s murder during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, at a hospital for a medical check-up after being found at a dhaba, in Ghazipur. Pic/PTI.
Indore tourist Raja Raghuvanshi was killed after his wife Sonam Raghuvanshi allegedly hired men to murder him during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, Director General of Police (DGP) I Nongrang said on Monday, reported the PTI.
The DGP informed that the wife, Sonam, surrendered before the Nandganj Police Station in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur, while the other three were arrested in overnight raids. She further informed that three arrests were made regarding this case out of which two are from Madhya Pradesh’s Indore and one is from Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh.
"One person was picked up from UP, and another two accused were apprehended from Indore by the SIT. Sonam surrendered at the Nandganj police station in UP, and was subsequently arrested,” said Nongrang.
According to reports Raghuvanshi and his wife went missing on vacation in Sohra area of Meghalaya, Khasi Hills on May 23. His body was found in a gorge on June 2, while his wife was still under search.
Nongrang further revealed that the accused had hired them to kill Raghuvanshi, she said, “The first person arrested was Akash Rajput, 19 years old, from Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh. The second was Vishal Singh Chauhan, 22 years old, from Indore, Madhya Pradesh. The third was Raj Singh Khushwaha, 21 years old, also from Indore. Sonam Raghuvanshi is currently in police custody. This afternoon, we arrested Anand Kurmi, 23 years old, from Sagar district, Madhya Pradesh,”
Earlier in the day, Uttar Pradesh ADG Law and Order Amitabh Yash, in a statement said, "Sonam Raghuvanshi, Govindnagar Khadsa, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, aged about 24 years, was found in the night at Kashi Dhaba situated on the Varanasi Ghazipur main road. She was sent to Sadar Hospital for initial treatment and then kept in One Stop Centre."
A one- stop centre provides guidance to women with mental issues both in private and public places. According to the statement released by Meghalaya Police, Sonam is currently under the custody of Uttar Pradesh Police and a necessary legal action is being followed. “The arrests mark a decisive development in unravelling the circumstances surrounding the tragic death of Raja Raghuvanshi and the subsequent disappearance of his wife,” it said.
The statement also applauded the investigation conducted by the Meghalaya Police Special Investigation Team (SIT) supported by State Disaster Response Force and National Disaster Response Force, local intelligence units and law enforcement agencies across various states. Later in the day, Meghalaya Deputy CM Prestone Tynsong mentioned that the final arrest was made on Monday.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma congratulated the state police for cracking the case that had shocked the nation.
"Within seven days, a major breakthrough has been achieved by the #meghalayapolice in the Raja murder case. Three assailants who are from Madhya Pradesh have been arrested, a female has surrendered and operation still on to catch one more assailant well done," he posted on X earlier in the day.
According to reports on Saturday a tourist guide in Mawlakhiat, Albert Pde, had noted Raghuvanshi and his wife along with three men went missing the other day. Albert informed that he last saw the couple climbing over 3000 steps from Nongriat to Mawlakhiate around 10 am on May 23. Albert also said that he recognised the couple as on the previous day he had offered them to guide through famed living roots bridge in Nongriat, but they politely refused and hired another guide.
He also mentioned that three men who accompanied them were speaking in Hindi, highlighting that they were not locals.
A CBI investigation was lodged by both the families of the couple. The body of the victim was found near Weisawdong Falls, a gold ring and neck chain was missing from his body, suspecting a case of murder. A day later, a machete covered with blood was found nearby, and two days later a raincoat was found similar to the one used by the couple, half way between Sohrarim and the gorge where his body was found.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, on Saturday said that he has requested Union Home Minister Amit Shah to order for a CBI enquiry for this case.
On Friday, Sonam’s family urged the Centre to hand over the case to CBI, expressing dissatisfaction with the investigation conducted by the Meghalaya Police.
"My daughter has been abducted and is still in the clutches of her captors. Meghalaya Police are not investigating the matter properly. They have been negligent right from the beginning. I have been seeking the deployment of the Army since the day they went missing. If it was done in time, they would have been found safely," Sonam's father, Devi Singh Raghuvanshi, told PTI.
After their marriage on May 11, the couple left for Meghalaya on May 20 for their honeymoon.
They arrived at Mawlakhiat village on May 22 on a rented scooter.
On May 24, their scooter was found abandoned at a cafe along the road from Shillong to Sohra, following which the search for them began.
A special investigation team (SIT) headed by an SP and assisted by four DSPs was probing the matter.
(With inputs from PTI)
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