In a major breakthrough in the Meghalaya honeymoon tragedy case, the missing wife of Indore native Raja Raghuvanshi, found dead in a gorge in Meghalaya, was traced and arrested in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur.
According to DGP I Nongrang, Raja Raghuvanshi was allegedly killed by men hired by his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, during their honeymoon in Meghalaya.
Sonam surrendered before the police in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur, while three other assailants were arrested in overnight raids, the DGP said.
“One person was picked up from UP, and another two accused were apprehended from Indore by the SIT," news agency PTI quoted her as saying.
“Sonam surrendered at the Nandganj police station in UP, and was subsequently arrested," she added. Nongrang said the arrested men have revealed that the wife had hired them to kill Raghuvanshi.
“The operation is continuing in Madhya Pradesh to catch some more persons involved in the crime," she said.
It was learnt that Sonam Raghuvanshi, late last night, called up her brother, Govind, and informed him that she was in UP.
Following her arrest from an eatery in Ghazipur, she was brought to a hospital for a medical checkup.
In a statement, Uttar Pradesh’s Additional Director General, Law and Order, Amitabh Yashe, said, “The Ghazipur Police recovered Sonam from a roadside eatery (dhaba)."
“The Meghalaya Police is en route and will take Sonam into custody for questioning. Sonam’s medical examination is currently underway," he added.
UP EATERY STAFF CONFIRMS SONAM WAS THERE
A staff member working at the ‘dhaba’ where Sonam Raghuvanshi was found in Ghazipur said she had arrived at the eatery at nearly 1 am.
“She (Sonam) came to the shop and was crying, saying she needed to make a call and asked for a mobile. We let her speak to her family using our phone.
Then I called the police, and they came and took her away," the staffer said.
MEGHALAYA CHIEF MINISTER CONGRATULATES POLICE
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma congratulated the police for cracking the case.
“Within 7 days a major breakthrough has been achieved by the #meghalayapolice in the Raja murder case… 3 assailants who are from Madhya Pradesh have been arrested, female has surrendered and operation still on to catch 1 more assailant… well done," he posted on X.
SONAM’s MOTHER THANKFUL HER DAUGHTER FOUND
Hours after her daughter’s arrest, Sonam’s mother, Sangeeta, while speaking to reporters, said her family was thankful that she had been found.
Sangeeta also said her family wanted to know who was behind her son-in-law Raja Raghuvanshi’s murder.
“We are thankful that she has been found, but the pain still remains," Sonam’s mother said.
“Now we want to know who was behind Raja’s murder. There’s sorrow even though she has returned, we lost Raja," she added.
SONAM’s FATHER DEMANDS CBI PROBE
Meanwhile, the father of Sonam Raghuvanshi, Devi Singh, denied all charges against his daughter and demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the case.
“My daughter reached the roadside eatery, and she was crying and called from there. It was from the dhaba that the police picked her up. I haven’t spoken to my daughter yet," Sonam’s father said.
“The police are lying," he alleged, adding, “Why would my daughter do something like this? If she intended to do something like this, why would she go out travelling?"
“I demand a probe by the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) into the case, and appeal to (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah ji for help," Sonam’s father said.
“The Meghalaya Police have cooked up this story midway. My daughter is innocent," he alleged.
RAJA RAGHUVANSHI’s BROTHER SAYS SONAM HASN’T SURRENDERED
In an exclusive conversation with CNN-News18, Vipin Raghuvanshi, brother of deceased Raja Raghuvanshi, claimed his sister-in-law Sonam has not surrendered yet.
Vipin, however, confirmed that Sonam spoke to his family, and that they asked the police to take her into custody safely.
Raja’s brother also said he had no clue about the other persons arrested in the case, and that they had no idea of how she reached Uttar Pradesh from Meghalaya.
“Only Sonam can confirm the rest of the details, how she travelled from Meghalaya to Uttar Pradesh, and how three more people have been arrested in the case from Madhya Pradesh," he said.
THE MEGHALAYA HONEYMOON TRAGEDY CASE
On June 7, a tourist guide had claimed that the honeymoon couple from Indore, Raja and his wife Sonam, was accompanied by three men on the day they went missing from Meghalaya’s Sohra area.
An official confirmed that the guide had provided this information to the police.
While the couple went missing on May 23, Raja’s body was found in a gorge near Weisawdong Falls on June 2.
A gold ring and a neck chain were found missing from his body, further leading to suspicion that he was murdered.
A day later, a bloodstained machete was discovered nearby, and two days later, a raincoat that was similar to the one used by the couple was found in Mawkma village, halfway between Sohrarim and the gorge where Raja’s body was found.
While a search for Sonam was underway, another CCTV footage from one of the homestays showed her wearing a similar raincoat.
The newlywed’s rented scooter was found at Sohrarim, several kilometres from the parking lot at Mawlakhiat, with the keys latched to it.
A special investigation team headed by an SP and assisted by four DSPs is probing the matter.
Source: News18
