News18 Afternoon Digest: Updates On Meghalaya Murder Of Raja Raghuvanshi; Explosion Hits Singapore-Flagged Ship Off Kerala Coast & Other Top Stories
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We are also covering: Sonam Raghuvanshi's First Statement After Arrest In Husband's Murder, and RCB Moves Karnataka HC To Quash Criminal Case Against It Over Bengaluru Stampede.
In today's News18 afternoon digest, we bring to you the latest on the murder case of Raja Raghuvanshi in Meghalaya, a Singapore-flagged container ship caught fire following an explosion off the Kerala coast and other top stories.
Sonam 'Prime Accused' In Meghalaya Murder Of Husband Raj Raghuvanshi, Her Lover Involved
The Meghalaya honeymoon murder case has taken a darker turn with fresh revelations pointing to a well-orchestrated conspiracy behind the killing of Indore resident Raja Raghuvanshi, whose body was found in a deep gorge during what was meant to be a celebratory trip with his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi. Read More
As many as four crew members went missing after a Singapore-flagged container ship caught fire following an explosion off the Kerala coast on Monday. The underdeck fire incident on the ship named 'MV Wan Hai 503' was reported at around 10.30 am by the Maritime Operations Centre (MOC) in Mumbai to its counterpart in Kochi. Read More
Royal Challengers Sports Limited (RCSL), which owns Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), has moved the Karnataka High Court to quash the criminal case against it over the stampede that took place on June 4th during its victory celebrations. Read More
Paresh Rawal REACTS To Fan Asking Him To Reconsider His Decision To Quit Hera Pheri 3
Veteran actor Paresh Rawal hit the headlines last month after he announced his departure from Hera Pheri 3, the third instalment in the beloved franchise. While he revealed his decision nearly a month ago, fans continue to urge him to rejoin the franchise. Recently, a netizen asked Paresh Rawal to reconsider his decision to quit the film, and called him the 'hero' of Hera Pheri. Read More
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First Post
19 minutes ago
- First Post
How Sonam Raghuvanshi lured husband towards killers, then escaped to UP
Meghalaya honeymoon murder: On the day the couple reported 'missing', Sonam Raghuvanshi allegedly took her husband Raja Raghuvanshi on a deserted trail under the guise of a photoshoot and directed the hitmen to 'kill him'. She then allegedly not only witnessed the murder but also took part in disposing of Raja's body. She then fled the scene, and reportedly posted 'misleading' social media message from Raja's phone read more Following the alleged murder of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, Sonam Raghuvanshi and the three other accused reportedly had a detailed plan to flee the scene and dodge the police. Image courtesy: News18 As chilling new details surface in the Meghalaya honeymoon murder case, police have now stitched together a disturbing timeline behind the killing of Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi. According to authorities, the plot was allegedly orchestrated by Raja's wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, alongside her supposed lover, Raj Kushwaha. The pair enlisted the help of three of Kushwaha's friends, who were hired as 'contract killers'—all of whom are now in police custody. Raja's lifeless body was discovered in a gorge in the Sohra region, days after the couple had been reported missing while on their honeymoon in Meghalaya. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Now, several reports citing sources are suggesting that the cold-blooded murder of Raja Raghuvanshi allegedly took place right in front of his wife. Sonam had reportedly lured her husband into the trap, watched him being killed, and then vanished. Her trail then finally ended nearly 1,200 km away in Uttar Pradesh, where police tracked her down after days of intensive search. Here's how the twisted plot unfolded. Took the less-travelled trail on the day of Raja's murder On the day Raja Raghuvanshi was allegedly murdered, his wife Sonam chose a route through Meghalaya's hills that most tourists tend to avoid. Instead of taking the well-known Tyrna path that leads to the double-decker living root bridges in Sohra, Sonam led her husband along the more isolated, steep and rugged Mawlingkhiyiat trail. According to a News18 report, investigators believe this was a pre-planned decision to keep the couple away from the usual crowd and gave them the privacy they needed to execute their plan without interruption. It was along this path that three men, Akash, Anand, and Vikash, joined them. The trio, believed to be hired by Sonam's alleged partner Raj, started interacting with Raja in Hindi. A local guide, Albert Pde, later told the police that he saw the group along the trail. He offered them his services, but they declined. 'I saw the couple with three men on the way up. The men were walking ahead, and the woman was behind them. They were speaking in Hindi,' he told the police. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD As they walked deeper into the forest, Sonam reportedly slowed down, claiming to feel tired. According to sources, once some distance had grown between her and Raja, she screamed, 'kill him' to the waiting assailants. So far, four people have been arrested in connection with Raja's murder, including his wife Sonam and her alleged boyfriend. Image: News18 All this while, Sonam's alleged lover Raj was not in the scene. He did not travel to Meghalaya, but Shillong Police sources told NDTV that he did the planning behind the scenes and was in contact with Sonam. From Meghalaya to UP: How Sonam tried to escape after Raja's murder Following the alleged murder of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, Sonam Raghuvanshi and the three other accused reportedly had a detailed plan to flee the scene and dodge the police. According to an NDTV report quoting senior police sources, Sonam not only witnessed the murder but also took part in disposing of Raja's body. Investigators say she helped push the body into a gorge in Meghalaya's Sohra region. She had allegedly promised the hired killers Rs 4 lakh for the job, an amount she later increased to Rs 20 lakh. After the killing, all four accused reportedly regrouped at a point about 11 km away from the site. From there, Sonam made her way to Guwahati and boarded a train to Indore. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD She reached Indore on May 25, where she met her alleged partner Raj Kushwaha. Police say he had arranged a rented room for her, while he stayed separately in a nearby hotel. Not long after, the two arranged for a car that took her to Uttar Pradesh. Her trail finally ended in Nandganj, around 40 km from Varanasi, where she was spotted near a roadside dhaba. According to the Uttar Pradesh Police, Sonam was 'distraught with fever' when she was found. She reportedly surrendered and was taken into custody shortly after. How Sonam tried to 'mislead' investigators Even as the investigation unfolded, police began picking up on inconsistencies in the case. Officers found that during their so-called honeymoon, no photos of Sonam and Raja were posted online. It wasn't until the day of Raja's murder that a post appeared on his account — one that raised eyebrows. According to News18, the post, allegedly made by Sonam using Raja's phone, read: 'Saat janmon ka saath hai (Together for seven lifetimes).' Investigators believe this was a deliberate move to give the impression that all was well, and to mislead anyone who might start looking for Raja. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Following the alleged murder of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, Sonam Raghuvanshi and the three other accused reportedly had a detailed plan to flee the scene and dodge the police. Image courtesy: News18 When she was finally taken into custody, Sonam tried to play the victim. Uttar Pradesh ADG (Law and Order) Amitabh Yash told NDTV, 'Sonam presented herself as a victim, claiming she was drugged and brought to Ghazipur.' He explained that she informed her family she was at a roadside eatery on the Ghazipur-Varanasi road, knowing that the message would likely reach the police. 'Around 3 am on Monday, she told her family she was at a dhaba. Her family then contacted the Madhya Pradesh police, who alerted local officers, and that's how she was caught,' Yash said. He further added that Sonam's plan wasn't particularly well thought out. 'She is a poor planner,' he said. 'She lacked knowledge of police procedures and thought she could escape by pretending to be a victim — but it didn't work.' Yash also praised the Meghalaya Police for their efforts, adding, 'They've done excellent work and are handling the case. If they need our support, we'll provide it.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With input from agencies
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Business Standard
29 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Rahul Dravid reacts to Bengaluru stempede, calls it sad and upsetting
The legendary Rahul Dravid on Tuesday expressed deep anguish over the death of 11 people in a stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL victory celebrations, terming the incident as "unfortunate" and "sad". Tragedy struck last Wednesday when nearly 2.5 lakh fans gathered in and around the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru to catch a glimpse of their favourite stars, resulting in a stampede that claimed lives and left 56 injured. "Yeah, very disappointing. Obviously, very sad. Thoughts go out to people," Dravid, a former India coach and captain, told NDTV. Dravid, who is currently associated with IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals as a coach, said the incident was particularly painful given the city's deep sporting culture. "This is a really sports passionate city. I come from here. People love their sport, not only cricket. People love sport in the city and they've really followed all the sporting teams here, whether it's been our football team or it's been our kabaddi team. "And of course, the RCB is a really very well-followed team. So really sad, very unfortunate what happened. And our thoughts go out to everyone who unfortunately was injured and some of them who lost their lives." In the aftermath of the tragedy, A Shankar and E S Jairam resigned from their respective position of secretary and treasurer of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), taking "moral responsibility" for the incident. Meanwhile, Nikhil Sosale, marketing head of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, was arrested on June 6.
Hindustan Times
33 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
RCB's parent company reacts to 'plans to sell' franchise after winning IPL
Rumours of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) being on sale surfaced just days after the franchise claimed its maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title after beating Punjab Kings in Ahmedabad. However, the owners, Diageo India, an Indian branch of UK-based Diageo Plc, categorically shut the rumours as they told the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and BSE Surveillance Department on Tuesday that the reports were merely speculative in nature. Earlier, a Bloomberg report indicated that the British distiller has been in discussion with potential advisers on selling part or all of the club. Diageo owns the team through its Indian unit, United Spirits Ltd., and may seek a valuation of as much as $2 billion. However, the rumours were ended in a mail to the BSE, with Mital Sanghvi, the company secretary, informing the regulating body of the Indian Stock Market, "The company would like to clarify that the aforesaid media reports are speculative in nature and it is not pursuing any such discussion. This is for your information and records." Diageo is registered with the BSE and hence a mail was sent to the company as the rumours around the RCB had lifted the share price. Shares of United Spirits gained as much as 3.3%, to hit a five-month high, in Mumbai trading on Tuesday morning following the report on potential deal. The rumours emerged at a time when India's health ministry is keen on banning the promotion of tobacco and alcohol brands in the IPL. While advertisement of such products are strictly prohibited in India, Diageo have promoted other products such as soda using top cricketers. The discussions also emerged at a time when RCB found themselves in the midst of a controversy after the unfortunate incident outside the Chinnaswamy on June 4. The franchise had arranged a celebration in the city a day after the IPL win, which saw around 2.5 lakh fans gathering in and around the home stadium in Bengaluru. But all turned into a chaos as a stampede saw 11 people losing their lives, while 56 were left injured. The incident has drawn criticism from local authorities and increased scrutiny over event safety, adding pressure on the franchise's ownership as it faces reputational risks tied to the tragedy.
