‘Loose ends being tied up': Meghalaya DGP says honeymoon murder not just about love triangle
Meghalaya police chief Idashisha Nongrang on Monday said investigators were not treating the love triangle as the only motive in the murder of Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi in Sohra, and were examining several other angles.
Raja Raghuvanshi was killed on May 23 while on his honeymoon in Meghalaya. His wife Sonam, her partner Raj, and three hired attackers were arrested in connection with the case on June 9.
'Frankly speaking, I still find it difficult to accept the motive that has been given by the accused, and it doesn't sit really well. We are looking to see if there is anything additional. I find it very difficult to believe that a person would generate so much animosity that within a couple of days of marriage, you plot to kill the person. On the surface, it appears to be a love triangle, but personally I wouldn't believe that it's the only motive,' Idashisha Nongrang told reporters.
She said that the investigation is progressing well, with 'loose ends being tied up,' and the police are working to file a chargesheet on time with a strong and foolproof case backed by sufficient evidence.
'The investigation is going on, a lot of the loose ends are being tied up and we are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the investigation is foolproof and that we have a very solid case. We have enough evidence and are working to ensure that the case is chargesheeted within the mandated time,' she added.
Sonam (25) and Raja Raghuvanshi (29) were married in Indore on May 11 and travelled to Meghalaya via Guwahati, Assam, on May 21 for their honeymoon.
On May 23, both were reported 'missing' in Sohra, located in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district, just hours after they had checked out of a homestay in Nongriat village.
Raja's decomposed body was discovered on June 2 in a deep gorge near Weisawdong Falls. A search operation continued for Sonam, who surfaced in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, around 1,200 km away, in the early hours of June 9.
She surrendered to police on the same day her boyfriend and three contract killers were arrested in connection with the murder.
Idashisha Nongrang said that Sonam revealed during interrogation that Raja's missing jewellery had been kept in a 'particular place.'
'We will be looking into that,' Nongrang said.
Police said all five arrested persons will be taken to Sohra around 12 pm on Tuesday for a reconstruction of the crime scene.
Investigators said the hitmen, who were friends of Raj, attacked Raja with a machete, striking his head in front of Sonam in the parking area of Weisawdong Falls. They then pushed his body into the gorge.
Following the murder, Sonam fled the state, using taxis, buses, and a train to travel through Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh, before reaching Indore.
However, she left behind her mangalsutra and a ring in her trolley bag at the homestay in Sohra. This raised suspicions and helped police begin tracing her, DGP Nongrang had earlier told PTI.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
13 minutes ago
- Hans India
Sambhal MP deposits Rs 6 lakh as fine to electricity dept to restore supply
Sambhal: Sambhal Samajwadi Party MP, Ziaur Rahman Barq deposited Rs 6 lakh with the electricity department on Tuesday as directed by the High Court, paving the way for the restoration of power supply at his house. The case dates back to December 17, 2024, when a smart meter was installed at Barq's residence in Sambhal's Deepa Sarai area. Two days later, on December 19, the electricity department conducted a load inspection and subsequently alleged that Barq was involved in electricity theft. Following the inspection, officials claimed that Barq's residence was consuming over 16 kilowatts of electricity, well beyond the sanctioned limit. An Meter Reading Instrument test also reportedly indicated zero consumption for several months, prompting the department to impose a hefty fine of Rs 1.91 crore and register a formal case of electricity theft. Despite repeated notices, officials said Barq failed to respond, prompting him to approach the High Court. On June 3, the High Court ordered that the MP must first deposit Rs 6 lakh as an interim measure, after which the electricity connection should be restored. Complying with the court's order, Barq's advocate, Farid Ahmed, reached the powerhouse on Tuesday and submitted a demand draft of Rs 6 lakh, along with an application requesting immediate restoration of the electricity supply. Speaking on the matter, advocate Farid Ahmed said, "The court had directed us to deposit Rs 6 lakh first to get the connection restored. We have submitted that today and hope the power supply will resume soon." Executive Engineer of the Electricity Department, Naveen Gautam, said, "Action was taken based on a complaint of power theft at the MP's premises. Today, a demand draft of Rs 6 lakh has been deposited as per the court's direction. His power connection is being restored today itself." The High Court is now scheduled to hear the matter on July 2, where the legality of the fine and other related issues will be examined. Meanwhile, Barq has maintained that he was not given an adequate opportunity to present his side of the story.
Deccan Herald
18 minutes ago
- Deccan Herald
Pilgrims hire ambulances to bypass traffic to reach Kedarnath faster; caught by police
The cops were surprised to see the ambulances as there was no hospital or treatment facility at Gaurikund, from where the devotees heading for Kedarnath begin their trek.
NDTV
18 minutes ago
- NDTV
Jurors In Sean 'Diddy' Combs Case See Clips Of 'Freak-Off' Sex Marathons
New York: The jury at Sean "Diddy" Combs ' sex trafficking trial got a glimpse Monday at some of the "freak-off" sex marathons at the heart of the case, with prosecutors showing excerpts of explicit videos that the hip-hop mogul recorded during the drug-fueled sessions. Prosecutors played portions of three sex videos recovered from a Combs-linked account on a cellphone that his former longtime girlfriend Cassie provided to authorities, giving jurors a close-up view of the encounters they've heard about repeatedly since testimony began May 12. One video was from Oct. 14, 2012, the same day prosecutors say Combs had a "freak-off" in New York City with Cassie and sex worker Sharay Hayes, known as "The Punisher." Before playing the clip, prosecutors showed jurors an invoice for an Oct. 14, 2012, stay at the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Manhattan that was booked under Combs' alias, Frank Black. A note on the invoice said the guest requested to have the room at 3 a.m. Prosecutors also showed jurors text messages in which Cassie, the R&B singer whose real name is Casandra Ventura, arranged the Oct. 14 meetup with Hayes. In one message, she wrote: "Can we actually do 3 a.m. at the Trump hotel, Columbus Circle?" Hayes replied: "Great. I'll text when I'm on my way," and told her his fee for the encounter was $200 cash. Jurors were also shown excerpts of videos taken on Oct. 20, 2012, and Dec. 4, 2014. Collectively, the clips shown to jurors were several minutes long and although at least one juror winced at a video, their reactions mostly were muted. Defense lawyers have said the videos prove Combs was engaging in consensual sex rather than crimes. Because of their graphic nature, the excerpts were available for viewing only for jurors, the prosecution and defense teams and Combs, all of whom wore headphones to hear the audio portion. Reporters and members of the public were not allowed to see or hear the videos. The videos were the most notable part of an otherwise dry day in court as prosecutors wind down their case with so-called summary witnesses - government agents who are reading aloud heaps of text messages, travel records and other document-based evidence. After six weeks of witnesses and evidence, prosecutors said they plan to rest on Wednesday. After that, Combs' lawyers said they'll start calling witnesses. Earlier in the trial, a forensic video expert retained by the prosecution to enhance the videos identified them by date. During that testimony, a prosecutor described the videos as "sex videos." Until Monday, jurors had only seen still images taken from the "freak-off" videos. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges after his September arrest at a New York hotel. He was denied bail multiple times and has remained incarcerated at a federal lockup in Brooklyn ever since. Other text messages jurors heard Monday included Combs' ex-girlfriend, identified by the pseudonym "Jane," complaining to him about sex marathons and to his chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, about his threats to release explicit videos of her. Jane laid into Combs after Cassie sued him in 2023 for alleged sexual and physical abuse. He promptly settled. Jane, who dated Combs from 2021 until his arrest last year, told Combs she felt he exploited her with their "dark and humiliating lifestyle." A month later, Jane texted Khorram that Combs "just threatened me about my sex tapes" and said he'd send them to her child's father. Jane told Khorram she needed her help because Combs was having one of his "evil-ass psychotic bipolar" episodes. Before the jury entered the courtroom Monday, Judge Arun Subramanian dismissed a juror after concluding there were "clear inconsistencies" in his answers last week and during jury selection about whether he resided in New York or with a girlfriend in New Jersey. "Taking these all together, the record raised serious concerns as to the juror's candor and whether he shaded answers to get on and stay on the jury," he said. Subramanian had first announced late Friday that he was dismissing the juror, but he left open the possibility that he would question the juror a final time after defense lawyers protested, saying that dismissing the Black juror and replacing him with a white man might spoil an otherwise diverse jury. The judge said he had decided not to question him further because it could lead to "another set of shifting answers. ... In other words, there's nothing that the juror can say at this point that would put the genie back in the bottle and restore his credibility.
