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India Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Actor Chum Darang condemns hate against Northeast after Raja Raghuvanshi murder
Actor Chum Darang has come out firmly in support of India's Northeastern states amid the backlash following Raja Raghuvanshi's murder in Meghalaya. She argues it's unfair to generalise or blame an entire region for one uproar over Raja Raghuvanshi's murder in Meghalaya has hit the state's tourism, triggering cancellations from several travel agencies. Now, 'Bigg Boss 18' alum Chum Darang has spoken out, defending India's Northeast against the a disappearing Instagram story, Darang wrote, 'This Raja Raghuvanshi case had me shook beyond words. I am sure everyone was worried for the 'wife' after the news of Raja being found. But never did I think she would be behind all this. Breaks my heart (sic).' She added, 'Also, I saw a lot of people were blaming the locals, the state, the region, to find out what? I am not saying NE states mein crime hota nehi hai, but sidha logon pe ungli uthana acchi baat nehi hai ((I am not saying the northeast states are crime-free, but it is wrong to point fingers at the people). My condolences (sic).'advertisementEarlier, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma had denounced what he described as an unfair narrative that emerged in the wake of the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi, who was killed during his honeymoon in Meghalaya, by contract killers hired by his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, and her lover, Raj argued that the crime, though brutal and tragic, was being used to vilify the state, and the entire northeast region in general. He added that the people of the northeast were "hurt" and the region was being wrongly to senior Shillong Police official Vivek Syiem, the plot to kill Raja was hatched just three days after Sonam and Raja were married on May 10 in couple travelled to Meghalaya on May 21 for their honeymoon. On May 22, three men allegedly hired by Sonam and her lover arrived in Shillong. On June 2, Raja's body was found in a gorge. Initially reported as missing, suspicion soon fell on Sonam, who had disappeared after the murder. On June 7, police launched 'Operation Honeymoon' to track her Reel
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Honeymoon horror: How ‘killer bride' Sonam Raghuvanshi fled from Meghalaya after husband's murder
How 'killer bride' Sonam Raghuvanshi escaped Meghalaya after husband's murder NEW DELHI: Madhya Pradesh police on Tuesday revealed that Sonam Raghuvanshi, who allegedly orchestrated the murder of her husband Raja Raghuvanshi during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, had travelled over 2,000 km back to Indore before resurfacing a fortnight later at a dhaba in Uttar Pradesh. Sonam, who vanished on May 23 near Wei Sawdong Falls in East Khasi Hills, reappeared gaunt and silent in Ghazipur on June 9, a week after Raja's body was found in a gorge near the falls parking lot on June 2. While she had claimed abduction and drugging, Indore police rejected the claim outright. 'We have information that Sonam reached Indore between May 25 and May 27 by train and stayed in a rented room in Dewas Gate,' said additional DCP (crime branch) Rajesh Dandotiya. 'Raj Kushwaha, her co-accused, met her there. He later arranged a taxi to UP.' Police believe Sonam left Shillong soon after the crime, taking an intentionally convoluted route through Siliguri, travelling to Guwahati and then boarding a train to Patna. From there, she appears to have taken an indirect route to Indore, dodging flight bookings and digital footprints to confuse investigators. A senior UP police official confirmed, 'We have CCTV footage of her getting off a Guwahati-Patna train. The route was chosen to misguide investigators.' CCTV and surveillance data, along with behavioural analysis from 42 video clips, showed Sonam meeting with contract killers around 10 km from the crime scene. Police also discovered a crucial clue, a raincoat provided by Sonam to one of the accused, Akash Rajput, and a matching jacket worn by another suspect. A mobile screen from Raja's phone was also recovered. Investigators found a machete used in the murder, reportedly bought near Guwahati railway station, not resembling local weapons in Meghalaya, suggesting premeditation. One suspect, Anand Kurmi, was wearing the same attire from the day of the murder when arrested. After returning to Indore, Sonam plotted her next move in a rented room and was later sent to Ghazipur via Varanasi, aided by a hired driver. Police have not yet disclosed why she was sent to Uttar Pradesh. Sonam remained untraceable from May 23 until her surrender in Ghazipur on June 9. Her reappearance deepened the mystery, but coordinated efforts by Shillong Police and Indore Crime Branch led to five arrests across Madhya Pradesh. Operation Honeymoon, the unofficial codename for the investigation, was launched by Meghalaya Police on June 7, culminating in major breakthroughs by June 8. Police sources revealed that within four days, Sonam's direct involvement was confirmed. Sonam Raghuvanshi was brought to Shillong on Tuesday night and will be produced before a local court on Wednesday.
NDTV
2 days ago
- NDTV
Sonam Raghuvanshi Brought To Shillong, To Be Produced In Court Today
New Delhi: Sonam Raghuvanshi, the prime accused in the murder of her husband Raja Raghuvanshi, was brought to Shillong overnight. She is in a three-day transit remand with the Meghalaya Police. Here are the top updates on honeymoon murder case: Sonam Raghuvanshi was taken to Bihar's Patna last evening via road from Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur - where she had surrendered before the police. She was then flown from Patna to Kolkata and was put on a flight to Guwahati at 9:20 pm. The murder accused was brought out of the airport by the Meghalaya police through the cargo gate and taken to the Sadar police station in Shillong. The Meghalaya police took Sonam to the Ganesh Das hospital for her medical test and brought her back to the police station, where she spent the night. The other four accused - Raj Kushwaha (Sonam's alleged lover and the mastermind of the murder), Anand Kurmi, Akash Rajput, and Vishal Singh Chauhan - have also been taken to Shillong separately. They will also be kept in jail and produced before the local court. As the Meghalaya Police team was entering the Indore airport with the four accused, a passenger waiting with his luggage slapped one of the killers, apparently expressing his anger over the crime that has shocked the nation. As the accused were wearing masks, it was not known who among the four accused was slapped. Raja Raghuvanshi and Sonam got married on May 11. Nine days later, they left for their honeymoon in Meghalaya on May 20 - with a one-way ticket in hand. The couple roamed around the breathtaking hills for three days before going "missing". On May 23, Sonam took Raja to a hilly area on the pretext of a photoshoot. The three accused also followed them and initially spoke to Raja in Hindi. Eventually, Sonam pretended to be tired and started walking much behind her husband and the killers. As the five people reached a deserted place, Sonam shouted "kill him" - to the killers, sources said. Sonam's lover Raj was not involved in the actual murder. He did not travel to Meghalaya, but Shillong Police sources suggested he did the planning behind the scenes and was in touch with Sonam. It is alleged that Sonam had promised Rs 20 lakh to the "contract killers" - described as Raj's friends - to kill Raja. Officials said that the Meghalaya Police knew on June 3, a day after they found the body of Raja Raghuvanshi in a gorge, that Sonam was involved in the murder. They then formed a 20-member core team to find the accused in an operation that they codenamed 'Operation Honeymoon'. On the night of June 7, officials said they found Sonam 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 arrested. Police also arrested the three "contract killers" in overnight raids. The family of Raja Raghuvanshi, the Indore-based businessman who was found dead during his honeymoon in Meghalaya, has demanded justice after the victim's wife surrendered to killing him. Raja's brother, Sachin, said that Sonam being found alive raises many questions. The Indore-based businessman's sister slammed Sonam, saying she could have "eloped if she liked someone else". "My brother had vowed to be with Sonam Raghuvanshi for seven lives, but she couldn't stay with him for even seven days. What did he do that you killed him," she said. Sources said that Sonam's family knew she did not want to marry Raja. The murder accused's mother was also aware of her relationship with Raj, who was an employee of her family-run business.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Operation Honeymoon: How SIT got whiff of Indore couple's marriage gone wrong
Guwahati/Shillong: The first clue in the jigsaw puzzle that led to solving the murder plot of Indore transporter Raja Raghuvanshi came when a SIT team found it strange that the newly married couple did not upload any pictures of their trip in Meghalaya on social media. The police also examined 42 video footage and studied their behavioural pattern and movement. These clips eventually proved crucial as sleuths linked them to the crime scene after Raja's body was found and also examined witness testimonies on their movements after the murder. Meghalaya Police on Tuesday disclosed that their operation to solve Raja Raghuvanshi's murder and apprehend the suspects was unofficially codenamed 'Operation Honeymoon'. This specific codename was given because the newly married couple, who tied the knot on May 11, was on a honeymoon trip to the northeastern state, sources said. Sonam Raghuvanshi, who allegedly plotted the killing of Raja Raghuvanshi in Meghalaya, will be produced before a Shillong court on Wednesday, police said. Police said further suspicion arose when posts appeared on Raja's social media account at 2:15 am after his death, which investigators later learnt was a deliberate misdirection. Sources indicate that surveillance footage revealed Sonam meeting the contract killers approximately 10 km from where the crime occurred. Following the incident, she departed Shillong, taking an indirect route through Siliguri to Indore, briefly occupying rented accommodation, before travelling to Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh via Varanasi, assisted by a driver. Crime scene evidence included Sonam's raincoat, which she provided to Akash Rajput, one of the assailants, and a matching jacket worn by another suspect. Investigators also recovered a mobile screen from Raja's device. Significantly, when arrested, Anand Kurmi was wearing the same attire from the day of the incident. The machete used in the crime was bought from near Guwahati railway station, providing additional evidence of the calculated crime, sources added. Police confirmed that the machete does not resemble those traditionally used in Meghalaya. After careful coordination between Shillong Police and Indore crime branch, five individuals were arrested, including Raja's spouse, Sonam, who was brought to Shillong late on Tuesday. Police sources said 20 officers worked across various angles, piecing together the evidence. Within three to four days, they found Sonam's direct involvement in the crime. Meghalaya Police officially initiated Operation Honeymoon on June 7, leading to multiple arrests across Madhya Pradesh by June 8. Sonam remained untraced from May 23 until she surrendered to police in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday night.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Indore honeymooner murder case: Court grants 7-day transit remand for further investigation
The Shillong Police have obtained a 7-day transit remand to continue investigating the murder case of Raja Raghuvanshi, an Indore-based honeymooner whose body was found in Shillong. The police are working to uncover the motive and circumstances surrounding his death, while the search for his missing wife Sonam continues. Show more Show less
