When Sonam Raghuvanshi called her brother, he was initially sceptical and asked her to make a video call. The family reportedly said they were emotional when they realised it was indeed Sonam who had made contact in the middle of the night but wasted no time in alerting the police department. As things stand, Sonam is the primary accused in the murder of her husband Raja Raghuvanshi (29) in Meghalaya.
The newly-wedded couple had arrived in Shillong for their honeymoon, where Raja was hacked to death by UP-based hired muscle who had followed the couple as instructed by Sonam and her lover, Raj Khushwaha. The couple had gone missing on May 23, and a scooter rented by them was found abandoned at Sohrarim on May 24. Raja's decomposed body was found in a gorge in Riat Arliang on June 2.
While the Meghalaya Police were under immense pressure as Sonam's fate remained unknown, she appeared at a roadside dhaba on the Varanasi-Ghazipur main road in Uttar Pradesh in the early hours of Monday. She made a phone call home pleading for help and was soon picked up by the local police. However, many unanswered questions linger even as the Meghalaya Police held a detailed press conference to elaborate on the latest developments in the investigation. As things stand, here are five queries regarding the Meghalaya honeymoon murder case that have been answered:
1. Is Sonam Raghuvanshi under arrest?
Two teams of Meghalaya Police have arrived in Indore, and another is en route to Uttar Pradesh. This team will reportedly arrest Sonam, who was admitted to a support hub by the UP Police. Meghalaya Police clarified that Sonam had voluntarily surrendered at the Nandganj Police Station in Ghazipur district.
2. Did UP Police interrogate Sonam?
No. The Ghazipur Police reportedly told the daily that they are not involved in the ongoing investigation and are only holding Sonam until the Meghalaya Police arrive.
3.What does the probe team think about Sonam's appearance?
Meghalaya Police are likely to take Sonam’s claim that she was kidnapped with a pinch of salt. Superintendent of Police Vivek Syie pointed out that it is not coincidental that Sonam showed up not long after the three co-accused were picked up by the investigation team. The timing itself confirms her involvement, he stated.
4.Who told the police about Sonam's whereabouts?
After a suspicious-looking young woman ended up at his establishment late at night, the dhaba owner tipped off the local police after handing her a phone to contact her family. It was Sonam’s brother Govind who picked up the call, made from the dhaba. He immediately alerted the Indore Police, according to a report by the Times of India. The department soon contacted their counterparts in Uttar Pradesh, and a Ghazipur police unit was dispatched to pick her up. Post medical examination, she was sent to a Sakhi Centre.
5.Where was Sonam all these days?
The police are yet to determine (or disclose) the woman’s whereabouts during the days she was “missing”. Sonam claimed she was “unwell”, news reports said, quoting sources in Uttar Pradesh. It is also unknown how she travelled from the Northeast to Uttar Pradesh.
