For the first time since the shocking Raja Raghuvanshi murder case came to light, a photo of all four accused surfaced on Wednesday. The image gave a first visual glimpse into the faces behind the brutal crime that has sent shockwaves across the country. According to officials, all four accused are currently in the custody of the Meghalaya Police.
The four accused have been identified as Raj Kushwaha, Akash Rajput, Vishal Chauhan, and Anand, whereas late Raja's wife Sonam is the prime accused in the incident.
Meghalaya court sends accused to 8-day police custody
Earlier on Wednesday, a court in Shillong sent Sonam Raghuvanshi and her four aides to eight-day police custody, an official said. The Meghalaya police brought Sonam here from Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday midnight and the other accused from Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday on transit remand, a senior officer said. "The police had sought a 10-day remand of all the accused. Judicial magistrate 1st class, Don Kitbor Koshy Mihsill, granted eight days of police custody," East Khasi Hills district SP Vivek Syiem told the media.
Sonam was arrested from Ghazipur
24-year-old Sonam was arrested from Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh, while her aides were apprehended from Indore in Madhya Pradesh for their alleged role in conspiring and killing Raja Raghuvanshi. The special investigation team sought police custody of the accused to reconstruct the crime scene in Sohra, the officer said.
What did Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills SP say?
The Superintendent of Police (SP) of Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills, Vivek Syiem, also revealed that there is adequate evidence pointing to the involvement of Sonam Raghuvanshi in the murder, emphasising that a conclusive confirmation would only emerge after thorough interrogation of those who were involved. "Investigation is going on; we have to confirm a lot of things. There is evidence against her (Sonam Raghuvanshi) of her involvement in the murder. But things will be clearer after the interrogation. We have to tie up a lot of loose ends... Our evidence has proven that she was very much involved, but after the interrogation, we can only confirm," SP Syiem stated.
What is the case?
After their marriage on May 11, the couple left for Meghalaya on May 20 for their honeymoon. They arrived at Mawlakhiat village on May 22 on a rented scooter. On May 24, their scooter was found abandoned at a cafe along the road from Shillong to Sohra, following which the search for them began.
Raghuvanshi's body was found in a gorge near Weisawdong Falls. 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 found 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 Raghuvanshi's body was found.