Latest news with #MadhyaPradeshCrimeBranch
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Indian Express
As Sonam and Raja's families come face to face, police probe unearths more details of honeymoon murder
The meeting was inevitable, yet neither family could have prepared for the raw emotion that would pour forth when they finally faced each other. On Wednesday, just weeks after the honeymoon that turned fatal for Raja Raghuvanshi, the family of his bride and now the accused, Sonam Raghuvanshi, met Raja's family in Indore. Sonam's brother, Govind, reached Raja's home and broke down as he embraced his mother, Uma. Govind apologised to her, saying 'Mummy, mein khud jaunga peshi karwane, usko saza dilwaunga (Mother, I will turn up for the hearing and ensure Sonam is punished).' Govind had spent a week in Shillong, standing in the unrelenting rain, looking for any sign of Sonam's body. When she turned up alive, he had rushed to her aid in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, only to find that the police had arrested her on suspicion of murder. Uma kept weeping, the shock of the murder still fresh. Through her tears, she kept saying, 'I never imagined she would do this.' Vipin Raghuvanshi, Raja's brother, later told The Indian Express about the meeting, 'Govind spoke to us yesterday and said he would come today. He apologised to my mother. He said Sonam should not be spared if she did anything wrong.' On Wednesday, Sonam and the four other accused were produced before a district court in Meghalaya, where the police sought their custody to uncover how the murder took place. The Madhya Pradesh Crime Branch shared details of the questioning with The Indian Express, revealing that Raj Kushwaha, the main accused, had allegedly paid the killers Rs 50,000 to carry out the murder. 'Raj had given Rs 50,000 to the assailants to carry out the plan. This was meant to also cover the travel expenses, including the hotel stay. After the incident, they took different trains to enter Indore. They destroyed their mobile phones after the incident,' a Crime Branch officer told The Indian Express. Sonam was allegedly present when the murder took place. One of the assailants, Vishal, allegedly attacked Raja from behind and inflicted two head wounds. The three assailants then threw his body down the gorge. After the murder, she fled to Indore via Siliguri and stayed in a flat for two days. She then proceeded to leave for UP and reached Ghazipur. However, East Khasi Hills SP Vivek Syiem remained cautious about accepting her version entirely: 'This is what she is telling the police. We are yet to confirm this.' Raja and Sonam had been reported missing last month during their honeymoon in Meghalaya. Earlier this month, Raja's body was found, and the search for Sonam was stepped up. On Sunday night, police arrested Kushwaha for allegedly orchestrating Raja's murder with Sonam's help. Once he was caught, Sonam surrendered at a police station in Uttar Pradesh.
NDTV
4 days ago
- NDTV
Honeymoon Murder: Kangana Ranaut Calls Sonam Raghuvanshi "Dumb", And A Warning
New Delhi: The death of Raja Raghuvanshi during his honeymoon in Meghalaya has prompted a strong response from BJP MP and actress Kangana Ranaut, who criticised the accused wife on social media. Kangana Ranaut posted on her Instagram Stories: "How absurd is this!! Woman can't say no to marriage because she is scared of her own parents but she can plan a cold-blooded murder with supari killers. This has been on my mind since morning but not able to wrap my head around it!!! Uuffff getting a headache now!! She couldn't even divorce or run away with her lover." She added: "How cruel, heinous and above all absurd and dumb. Dumb people should never be taken lightly. They are the biggest threat to any society... We often laugh at them and think they are harmless but it's not true. Intelligent people may damage others for their own good but remember a dumb person has no idea what they are doing !!! Be aware very aware of dumbness around you." Raja Raghuvanshi and his wife Sonam went missing on May 23 while on their honeymoon in Meghalaya. The case became a murder investigation when Raja's body was discovered in a gorge near Weisawdong waterfalls on June 2, while Sonam remained missing. Meghalaya Police suspect Sonam hired killers to murder her husband. Madhya Pradesh Crime Branch officers told The Indian Express that 21-year-old Raj Kushwaha, believed to have conspired with Sonam, planned the murder shortly after the couple's wedding. Sonam surrendered at Nandganj Police Station in Ghazipur district on Sunday night and was arrested. Kushwaha was apprehended in Indore. Four additional suspects were arrested from different locations in Madhya Pradesh: Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan, Raj Singh Kushwaha and Anand. Raja's family stated that Sonam organised the Meghalaya honeymoon and requested Rs 9 lakh for arrangements. She also convinced him to bring valuable jewellery despite family objections. Sonam, on the other hand, claims she was kidnapped and drugged.
