The Raghuvanshis from Indore were on honeymoon in Meghalaya when they disappeared. An intense search operation followed in the state's lush peaks and serene mountains. A week later, Raja Raghuvanshi's decomposed body was found in a gorge in East Khali Hills. But there was no trace of Sonam Raghuvanshi. Her family feared she could be kidnapped. A twist came days later. Sonam was found, unwell, and accused of hiring contract killers to eliminate her husband. Here's a timeline of the chilling murder mystery that gripped the headlines for weeks:
May 21
Raja, 29, and Sonam Raghuvanshi, 24, were married on May 11. On May 20, they had left for their honeymoon. They checked in at the Balaji Guest House in Shillong around 6 pm on May 21.
May 22
The couple went out in the morning and rented a two-wheeler from Keating Road. They returned and checked out. They left with two luggage bags, informing the manager that they would return by May 25 and would call if they needed a room.
They set out for Sohra, a popular tourist spot in Cherrapunji, on the scooty. On the way, they stopped at Mawlakhiat village in the East Khasi Hills. They parked their vehicle and hired a local guide to trek to Shipara Homestay in Nongriat village.
May 23
In the morning, the couple was seen together for the last time. They had checked out of Shipara Homestay and were reported missing thereafter. The last location picked up by their phone was Nongriat. From here, Sonam had made her last phone call to her mother-in-law. In a clip of their conversation that later emerged, she was apparently panting due to the "tough trek".
The guide hired by the couple claimed they did not hire his services on their way back to Mawlakhiat. They had told him that they would manage their return themselves.
May 24
Search continued for the couple as they remained untraced for over 24 hours. The mystery deepened as the scooty that they had rented was found abandoned in Sohrarim village. But there was still no trace of either Raja or Sonam Raghuvanshi.
Search continued.
May 25
The abandoned scooty's owner was found and he reported to the police station. It then emerged that the Indore couple had rented the vehicle from him.
May 26
The police began search operations in Sohrarim where their scooty was found.
June 2
A semi-decomposed body was spotted by a drone in a gorge near the Wei Sawdong Falls. The body was later identified as that of Raja Raghuvanshi's.
June 3
Meghalaya Police declared that they have found the victim's mobile and the "dao" (machete) that was used to murder him from near the spot where his body was found. "It is a clear case of homicide. No doubt he was murdered," said Vivek Syiem, East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police (SP).
June 5
Blurry CCTV footage emerges from a Shillong hotel where the couple had stayed on May 22.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma asserted that his government would not leave any stone unturned to ensure justice in the tourist's murder. He also assured the couple's family that they are trying to find Sonam, who was still untraceable.
June 6
Sonam had remained untraced for three days after her husband's body was found in the gorge. This raised fear among her relatives. Her brother, Govind Raghuvanshi, said he believes she is alive and has been kidnapped. He also requested that the case be taken up by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
June 8
New footage emerged showing the couple shortly before they went missing. They were seen arriving at the homestay on their scooty in one of the videos. Another showed Raja at the reception of the homestay, apparently before checking out.
The climax came in the night.
Sonam arrived in Ghazipur late last night and dialled her brother, after which the police reached the spot and took her away, her father said.
UP Police said they found her with a mild fever at the Kashi Dhaba in Nandganj, while Meghalaya police claimed she surrendered under pressure. She was later arrested along with three others.
Sonam will be handed over to Indore Police as soon as they reach Ghazipur, said UP Director General of Police (DGP) Rajiv Krishna, asserting that she won't be questioned by the UP cops.
Meghalaya police had a different version.
Accusing Sonam of orchestrating her husband's murder, Meghalaya Police said she surrendered at the Nandganj police station and was subsequently arrested.
She surrendered under pressure and will be brought back to Meghalaya, said Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dalton P Marak, while one accused remains on the run.
Sonam's father refuses to believe that she had murdered her husband and claims that Meghalaya police are making up stories.
