Raja Raghuvanshi's father on Sonam: 'If Innocent, I'll protect her; if guilty, she deserves death penalty'
Sonam Raghuvanshi, a 24-year-old woman from Indore, allegedly orchestrated the murder of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, during their honeymoon in the scenic town of Sohra in Meghalaya.
In a recent development in the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case, the victim's father said their family had considered Sonam as a daughter, adding that if she is innocent, he will ensure her safety, but if found guilty, she should be given the death penalty.
Raja's highly decomposed body with fatal head injuries was found on June 2 near Weisawdong falls in Meghalaya, following which the bloodstained machete and other items were also recovered.
Treated Sonam like our daughter: Raja's father
"If Sonam is not involved in this murder case, then I will bring her back safely myself. We never considered her just a daughter-in-law; we treated her like our own daughter," said Raja's father.
The father further said that if Sonam had any issues, she should have spoken to him. He added that had she been honest about her situation, he would have supported her.
"To rescue Sonam, I had initially announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh, which I later increased to Rs 20 lakh, promising that whoever brings her back home safely would receive Rs 20 lakh," he said.
Raja's father also apologised with folded hands to the Meghalaya government, saying, "Because of us, Shillong’s name got dragged into this matter." He appealed to the Meghalaya Police to conduct a thorough investigation, and added, "If Sonam is found guilty, she should also be given the death penalty."
Sonam's mother was aware of her affair with Raj
Vipin Raghuvanshi, brother of the deceased Raja Raghuvanshi, claimed that Sonam Raghuvanshi's mother kept information from their family and that she also knew about the alleged affair between Raj Kushwaha and her daughter, Sonam.
He said that before the marriage, Sonam had told her mother, "If this marriage happens, the outcome will not be good."
Vipin also demanded that Sonam's mother be named as an accused in the case, alleging that she was aware of Sonam’s relationship with Raj Kushwaha even before the marriage.
How was Raja killed?
Sonam and Raj Kushwaha jointly plotted the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi. To execute their plan, Raj hired contract killers. Although Raj himself never travelled to Shillong, he maintained continuous contact with Sonam over the phone. In Shillong, three hired assassins, Akash, Vishal, and Anand, were present to carry out the killing. Raj coordinated everything over the phone.
As part of the conspiracy, Sonam deliberately took Raja to a deserted road under the guise of going sightseeing. Once they reached the isolated spot, the three contract killers attacked Raja with sharp-edged weapons, killing him on the spot. Following the murder, Sonam, along with Akash, Vishal, and Anand, travelled to Guwahati, where they stayed for a day. Afterward, they parted ways and moved to separate locations.
Police on Monday arrested Sonam, a 24-year-old woman from Indore, for allegedly orchestrating the murder of her husband Raja during their honeymoon in the scenic town of Sohra in Meghalaya. Raja was killed by men allegedly hired by Sonam, who went 'missing' and surfaced in UP's Ghazipur where she surrendered at the Nandganj police station after the arrest of three assailants -- Akash Rajput (19), Vishal Singh Chauhan (22), and Raj Singh Kushwaha (21) -- in overnight raids.
The autopsy report of Raja Raghuvanshi indicated that he was hit twice with a sharp object on his head.
Also Read: Truth behind Meghalaya honeymoon murder: Sonam's promise to lover, a marriage and cliffside photo op
Also Read: Raja Raghuvanshi murder: Sonam's alleged lover Raj Kushwaha's family says he's being wrongly framed