Wife Sonam Prime Suspect, Boyfriend Raj Mastermind: Cops On Meghalaya Honeymoon Murder

Probing the killing of an Indore man while honeymooning in Meghalaya, the police have accused his wife and her boyfriend of masterminding the murder that has cast a shadow on the northeast paradise. Sonam Raghuvansi, 24, is the prime suspect in Raja Raghuvanshi's murder, Meghalaya Police sources said. The focus is also on Raj Kushwaha, who used to work for her. The two allegedly had an affair.

Sources say they planned the murder together and that it was Raj who hired contract killers to eliminate her husband.

Three others, identified as Vikash Singh Chauhan, Akash Rajput, and Anand Kurmi, are believed to have carried out the murder, they added. All five have been taken into custody.

Read: Wife's Affair Led To Meghalaya Honeymoon Murder, Boyfriend Involved: Cops

Sonam surfaced in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur late last night, about 1,200 km from the Meghalaya village where her husband was found dead, after remaining untraceable for over two weeks. Police picked her up in prompt action that followed her frantic effort to contact her family.

That she remains alive while her husband was killed has raised questions from her in-laws' side.

While UP police claimed Sonam was found distraught and with fever, Meghalaya cops said that she "voluntarily surrendered" under pressure. The motive, however, is yet to be known.

The Murder

Raj Kushwaha was not in the scene when the murder occurred. He did not even travel to Meghalaya. Shillong Police sources suggest he did the planning behind the scenes and was in touch with Sonam.

The three contract killers, Vikash, Akash, and Anand, were already present in Shillong. After Raj contacted them, they reached Cherrapunji, following the location shared by Sonam. On the day of the murder, she took her husband to a deserted road where the three killers attacked him, said sources.

Read: The Eyewitness Who Saw Raja Raghuvanshi Alive Last, And What He Told Cops

Sonam went incommunicado after the murder. She and the three killers travelled from Shillong to Guwahati in neighbouring Assam. They stayed there for a day and then separated.

Meghalaya cops were convinced during the probe that Sonam was alive and that she had a role in the murder. While scanning her call records, they chanced upon her conversations with Raj Kushwaha. It emerged then that Sonam and Raj knew each other well and had an affair, said sources.

The Arrests

Local cops had been on the lookout for the couple since they went missing. But the investigation gained momentum with the discovery of Raja's semi-decomposed body in a gorge in the East Khasi Hills district. Their scooty was also found nearby, so was a machete, the murder weapon.

An extensive search operation soon began for Sonam, but she was nowhere to be found, raising both fear and suspicion.

Read: Meghalaya Honeymoon Murder: Stunning Late Night Call And The Big Twist

Based on technical surveillance and CCTV footage, the police first reached Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh to arrest Akash Rajput, one of the contract killers. The arrest of Vikash Chauhan and Raj Kushwaha followed in Indore. Anand Kurmi was arrested in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar.

Meanwhile, Sonam surfaced after weeks of staying untraceable. She reached Ghazipur last night and tried to contact her brother, who, in turn, informed the cops and was taken away from a dhaba in Nandganj.

Meghalaya Police suggest that all accused will be brought to Shillong and that they will seek remand for all of them when they are presented in the court. They will also be taken to the crime scene, said sources.