Honeymoon murder case: SIT grills Sonam Raghuvanshi, others in Shillong

Shillong: Meghalaya Police Special Investigation Team (SIT) chief interrogated Sonam Raghuvanshi, along with other accused in the shocking Raja Raghuvanshi murder case at the Sadar Police Station in Shillong.

The officials were interrogating all five accused before presenting them in court.

Sonam Raghuvanshi was arrested for allegedly orchestrating the shocking murder of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, during their honeymoon in Meghalaya. She was brought to Shillong under tight security late on Tuesday and is set to be produced in court on Wednesday.

Sonam, who surrendered before police in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur on June 7, was taken to Patna by road, then flown to Kolkata and onward to Guwahati.

From Guwahati airport, she was discreetly taken out through the cargo gate and transported to the Sadar police station in Shillong, where she spent the night after a mandatory medical examination at Ganesh Das Hospital.

East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police, Vivek Syiem, stated that the Meghalaya Police obtained six days of transit remand for the accused arrested in Madhya Pradesh and three days for those arrested in Uttar Pradesh.

“All accused are being brought to Shillong separately and will be produced in court,” he added.

Four other accused — Raj Kushwaha, Sonam’s alleged lover and the mastermind, along with Anand Kurmi, Akash Rajput, and Vishal Singh Chauhan — were also brought to the Meghalaya capital earlier in the day. They will remain in custody until their court appearance.

An incident of public outrage unfolded at Indore airport as the four accused were being escorted by police.

A passenger, visibly angry over the brutal crime, slapped one of the masked accused.

The identity of the accused who was attacked remains unknown.

Sonam and Raja had tied the knot on May 11. Just nine days later, on May 20, they departed for their honeymoon in Meghalaya with a one-way ticket. By May 23, the newlyweds had gone missing.

A search operation ensued, and on June 4, Raja’s body was discovered in a deep gorge, sending shockwaves across the country.

Following days of investigation, Sonam was apprehended, marking a breakthrough in what the police have termed ‘Operation Honeymoon’ — a 20-member special operation launched to hunt down the suspects involved in the grisly killing.

All five accused will now face further investigation under the jurisdiction of the Meghalaya Police.

IANS