LUCKNOW/SHILLONG/INDORE: First, it was a case of missing honeymooners in Meghalaya. They might have lost their way on a trek, it was thought. On June 2, as Raja Raghuvanshi’s body was found in a gorge, it was suspected to be a robbery gone wrong. A ‘dao’ (machete) and phone lay near his body, and a blood-stained raincoat found a few kilometres away. His gold ring and chain, it turned out, were missing. As cops dug deeper, the case took a chilling turn.Also read: ‘Happy to marry whoever you choose,’ Sonam had told fatherPolice formed an SIT with SDRF, NDRF, and central and state intelligence units to crack what became a nationwide sensation. Both families demanded a CBI probe. Even after cops claimed to have cracked the case Monday and arrested Raghuvanshi’s bride, Sonam, from a dhaba in UP, and four suspects, including her alleged lover Raj Kushwaha, the stories kept coming. She initially told Ghazipur police that miscreants robbed and killed Raja near the falls, but refused to disclose where she had been or how she escaped.“I didn’t kill my husband. They killed him for the jewellery,” Sonam said, referring to the four arrested men. Those were Akash Rajput, 21, from Lalitpur (UP), Vishal Singh Chauhan, 22, and Kushwaha, 21, both from Indore, and Anand Kurmi, 23, from Satna in MP.Indore additional DCP Rajesh Dandotiya said Akash, Vishal and Raj were produced in court and sent on seven-day transit remand. Anand is being brought to Indore & will be presented in court Tuesday.Raj, suspected to be the prime co-conspirator, used to live near Sonam’s home and worked as an accountant in Sonam’s family business. He moved away a year ago but remained employed. Police claimed Sonam’s family was against her relationship with Raj. Eventually, her marriage was arranged with Raja through a Kushwaha community network.Just four days after her wedding, Sonam returned to her parental home for a post-marriage ritual. She allegedly plotted her husband’s murder with Raj during that visit. The plot, investigators alleged, was to eliminate him in the next few days so she could reunite with Raj.East Khasi Hills SP Vivek Syiem alleged Sonam had been sending her location to Raj throughout the trip. Investigators believe the killers trailed the couple after they visited Kamakhya temple in Guwahati. Raj remained in Indore, while Akash, Vishal and Anand travelled by train to Assam, police alleged.“The murder weapon was purchased in Guwahati,” an officer in Indore said. Sonam reportedly pushed Raja to extend their stay in Shillong – a move now seen as part of a premeditated plan.Tourist guide Albert Pde told investigators he saw the couple with three Hindi-speaking men on May 23 as they climbed 3,000 steps from Nongriat to Mawlakhiat. That detail was key – pointing to outsiders shadowing the honeymooners.“All the dots connected to indicate that there was prior planning,” SP Syiem said. “We will confirm everything once the accused are interrogated together.” Sonam’s parents dismissed the allegations. Her father Devi Singh said his daughter is being “framed” by police.
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