As the mystery deepens over the murder of an Indore man during his honeymoon in Meghalaya, the police now claim that the victim's wife had an extramarital affair that allegedly drove her to hire contract killers to eliminate her husband.
Raja Raghuvanshi, 29, and his newly married wife Sonam, 24, had gone missing on May 23. A week later, Raja's body was found in a gorge. A search was conducted for Sonam, who eventually turned up in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur a week later.
Meghalaya cops believe she was in an extramarital affair that led to Raja's murder. She orchestrated the murder in connivance with her boyfriend, Raj Kushwaha, and surrendered under pressure on June 8, according to them. Both were later arrested.
Not much is known about Raj Kushwaha from official channels, but the victim's family has broken its silence on this person.
Raj was Sonam's employee, and they would speak on the phone a lot, claimed Vipul Raghuvanshi, Raja Raghuvanshi's brother. "I've never seen Raj Kushwaha; I've just heard his name," he told ANI.
While he didn't accuse Sonam directly of the murder, he said she could be involved in the murder if Raj Kushwaha was involved.
The couple had initially planned to visit the Kamakhya temple in Guwahati, he claimed, raising doubts over the sudden change in plan that landed them in neighbouring Meghalaya. "We don't know which of the two planned their visit to Meghalaya. They did not book any return tickets," he added.
Sonam being alive has also raised suspicion among the family members of Raja Raghuvanshi. Sachin, another brother of the victim, asked, "Sonam being found alive raises questions. Who were the other people who killed Raja?"
Raja and Sonam got married on May 11. They left for their honeymoon on May 20. A day later, the couple were in Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya, nestled in the lap of lush peaks. On May 23, they went missing on their way to a popular tourist spot.
The husband's body was found on June 2 with evidence that he was hacked to death with a machete. Sonam, however, remained untraceable until June 8. Last night, she reached Ghazipur and contacted her brother. She was swooped away by the cops minutes later, according to the UP police and her family.
Uttar Pradesh police claimed they found Sonam distraught and with fever at a dhaba in Nandganj, while Meghalaya cops asserted she "voluntarily surrendered" at the police station.
Her surrender came "under pressure", Meghalaya Inspector General of Police (Law and Order), Dalton P Marak, told news agency IANS. Three others, including two from Indore and one from Lalipur in Uttar Pradesh," said Meghalaya police.
Sonam's family came out in her support and outright denied that she could murder her husband.
"She cannot do this. They got married with the consent of both families. My daughter came to a dhaba in Ghazipur last night and called her brother. Police went to the dhaba and she was taken from there," said Devi Singh, Sonam's father.
Accusing Meghalaya Police of making up stories, Mr Singh has sought a CBI probe, a demand echoed by Raja's family.
"Both were happy in their marriage. I never saw the two fighting. Police have not even handed over the post-mortem report of my brother...We want the Madhya Pradesh Police and the CBI to investigate this case," said Vipul Raghuvanshi.
If Sonam is involved, she should be punished, he asserted.
Raja Raghuvanshi's mother Uma Raghuvanshi praised Sonam over her "good behaviour" and said she should not be made an accused if she was not involved. But if she is found involved, she should be hanged, said the heartbroken mother.
