Shillong: The Meghalaya police have cracked the perplexing murder of 29-year-old Raja Raghuvanshi, a newlywed on his honeymoon in Sohra (Cherrapunji), with a discarded mangalsutra and a ring proving to be crucial evidence. DGP Idashisha Nongrang revealed that these seemingly innocuous items, left behind in a suitcase, ultimately led investigators to the chilling truth.
Raja and his wife Sonam, 25, tied the knot in Indore on May 11 and arrived in Meghalaya via Guwahati on May 20 for their honeymoon. However, their romantic getaway took a sinister turn just three days later, on May 23, when both vanished after checking out from a homestay in Nongriat village, East Khasi Hills.
DGP Nongrang stated that the recovery of Sonam’s mangalsutra and a ring from a suitcase the couple had left at a Sohra homestay immediately raised red flags. “A married woman leaving behind such personal ornaments raised suspicion. It became the first clue that Sonam may not be a victim but a suspect,” Nongrang informed PTI on Wednesday, highlighting the pivotal role of these items in shifting the investigation’s focus.
The couple had arrived at the Sohra homestay on May 22 without a prior booking, depositing their luggage there before embarking on a strenuous trek of over 3,000 steps to Nongriat, famous for its double-decker root bridge. After spending a night at a Nongriat homestay, they checked out early on May 23, trekked back to Sohra, collected their scooter, and proceeded towards Weisawdong Falls. It was at this picturesque location that Raja was allegedly murdered in front of Sonam by three contract killers.
Raja’s body was discovered in a gorge near Weisawdong Falls on June 2. Meanwhile, Sonam reappeared in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, nearly 1,200 km away, surrendering to the police in the early hours of June 9.
Police have since apprehended Sonam’s boyfriend, Raj Kushwaha, and the three contract killers, all of whom have reportedly confessed to their involvement in the crime. A Shillong court has remanded all five accused to eight days of police custody for further investigation.
Earlier, a tour guide’s testimony further solidified the investigators’ findings, reporting having seen the couple with three Hindi-speaking men on their return journey from Nongriat. Police officials are confident that the case is now airtight, bolstered by comprehensive confessions and irrefutable material evidence, including the very suitcase that inadvertently exposed the elaborate plot.
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