Hours Before Murder, Sonam, Raja Raghuvanshi Seen Trekking In Meghalaya
Hours before Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi's murder, he and his wife, Sonam (the prime accused), were seen trekking on a steep peak in the lush mountains of Meghalaya. A video shot by a tourist "accidentally" captured the Raghuvanshis climbing the hill on May 23 around 9:45 am. Raja was murdered and dumped into a gorge in the afternoon, the same day, by three killers - hired by Sonam and her lover, Raj Kushwaha.
The tourist, Dev Singh, posted the video on Instagram in which Sonam was leading the way up the hill, with Raja following her. She was seen wearing a white t-shirt - which was found by the Meghalaya police near the crime scene. She was also carrying a polythene bag, which reportedly had a raincoat inside. This was the same time when Sonam's three accomplices were following them.
"Yesterday, I was checking videos and I found a recording of the Indore couple. It was around 9:45 am when we were going down, and the couple was going up. I think this was the last recording of the couple, and Sonam was wearing the same white t-shirt, which was found near Raja. I hope this will also help Meghalaya police in connecting the dots," Mr Singh wrote on Instagram.
He added, "Every time I watched Raja in the video, I felt very bad about him. He was looking normal but unaware of what would be waiting for him."
Sources familiar with the sequence of events leading to the grisly murder on May 23 said the newlywed couple had checked out of a hotel - Shipara Homestay - in Nongriat at around 5.30 am and set out on a trek in Cherrapunji half an hour later. Sonam's three accomplices, who were staying at a nearby homestay, also checked out around the same time. Around 10 am, Sonam and Raja completed around 2,000 steps along the trek route when they met the three killers - Anand Kurmi, Akash Rajput, and Vishal Chauhan.
A local guide - whose alertness later helped the cops - had spotted the five together.
According to sources, as the hitmen and Raja began talking, Sonam gradually slowed down and started walking behind them.
Around 12:30 pm, Sonam called Raja's mother, Uma Raghuvanshi, and told her that she was exhausted due to the trek. Raja also spoke to his mother - in their last conversation. An hour later, the group of five (Raja, Sonam, and the three hitmen) drove from Mawlakhiat to the parking lot at Wei Sawdong Waterfalls. Upon reaching, the hitmen killed Raja and threw his body into a gorge.
The newlywed couple was initially reported "missing". But on June 2, cops found Raja's body, turning a missing persons investigation into a murder probe. On the night of June 7, the 'missing' wife was found in an unconscious state at a 'dhaba' in Ghazipur. She was taken to the Ghazipur Medical College for treatment, where she surrendered before the police, and was subsequently taken into custody.
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