In a twist to the shocking murder case of Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, two of the five accused have retracted their earlier confessions and remained silent before a magistrate, according to the Meghalaya Police.
Superintendent of Police (Shillong City) Herbert Pyniaid Kharkongor, who is heading the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case, said that accused Akash Rajput and Anand Kurmi refused to give any statement when they were produced before the magistrate on Thursday.
Accused refuse to testify before magistrate
“We sent only two of the five accused to the magistrate. They did not want to make any statement. We have ample material evidence against them. We are also waiting for the FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) report,” Mr Kharkongor said.
While the police had earlier claimed that all accused had confessed to their involvement in the crime, the SP noted that police confessions are not admissible in court. “It is their right not to make a confessional statement. But material evidence is also very important. There is no issue. We have evidence in the case,” he added.
Difference between police and magistrate statements
The police clarified that statements recorded under Section 180 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) are helpful during investigation and cross-examination. However, only those recorded before a magistrate under Section 183 hold weight in a court of law.
The gruesome case began as a missing persons report when 29-year-old Raja Raghuvanshi and his 24-year-old wife Sonam Raghuvanshi, both from Indore, disappeared on May 23, shortly after checking out of a homestay in Nongriat village, Meghalaya.
They had travelled to the northeast for their honeymoon following their wedding on May 11. The situation took a horrifying turn when Raja’s body was discovered on June 2, roughly 20 km from their last known location.
The investigation later revealed that Sonam had plotted Raja’s murder with her lover Raj Kushwaha, and three associates: Akash, Anand, and Vishal Singh Chauhan. Kushwaha was employed as an accountant in Sonam's family-run furniture business, which she managed.
Weapon, ammunition, and cash seized from vehicle
In a parallel development, SP Herbert Kharkongor revealed that during preliminary interrogation, the police recovered critical material evidence. “A weapon was seized yesterday, including a gun with ammunition and Rs 50,000 in cash, from a vehicle. Raj and Akash disclosed that the weapon was kept in a bag, which helped us proceed accordingly.”
He added that investigators are now trying to determine whether other materials, including laptops, were discarded or are still hidden. “They claimed the laptops were thrown away, but we will interrogate them further to find out exactly where they were disposed of, or if they are being kept somewhere,” Kharkongor said.
