Shillong/Indore – The gruesome murder of Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuwanshi, allegedly orchestrated by his wife during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, has taken a significant turn. Meghalaya Police will now recreate the crime scene near Weisawdong Falls to establish the precise sequence of events.
Raja’s wife, Sonam Raghuwanshi, who surrendered last week in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, is being brought to Shillong under a three-day transit remand. The four other accused, all arrested from Indore, have already been taken to the state for investigation. All five will be questioned together at the crime site to corroborate their statements and clarify inconsistencies.
According to the police, Sonam did not flee from Meghalaya as initially believed. She reportedly returned to Indore by train two days after the murder and stayed at a flat in Dewas Naka, arranged by her lover and co-accused, Raj Kushwaha. Aware of surveillance, Raj avoided meeting her but arranged a taxi to Varanasi, from where she later tried to escape to Nepal. However, upon learning about the arrests, she abandoned her plan and surrendered at a roadside eatery near the Varanasi-Ghazipur highway.
Police also recovered evidence from Indore, including the clothes worn during the murder and are now tracing SIM cards used by the accused. Investigators believe the murder plan was finalised during a phone call between Sonam and Raj on May 16, followed by a meeting at a café on May 17.
Raja and Sonam had left for Shillong on May 20. On May 23, while on a trek near Nongriat, the hired killers attacked Raja, hitting him from behind and stabbing him with a tree cutter before dumping his body into a deep gorge near Weisawdong Falls.
Police have not identified any new prime accused but are examining Sonam’s background and family for any links to the plot.