Further probe into the Meghalaya honeymoon murder is underway and cops are likely to take Sonam Raghuvanshi to the murder site for reconstructing the crime scene soon. Meghalaya police were granted eight-day custody of all accused, including Sonam, in the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case on Wednesday.
Meghalaya police chief I. Nongrang said the mangalsutra and wedding ring Sonam left behind at a homestay helped them crack the sensational murder case. The state police faced severe criticism earlier from the Raghuvanshi family, alleging lack of serious probe, after the newly-wed couple who visited the state for honeymoon were reported missing on May 23.
Nongrang said cops found the luggage of the couple at a homestay in Sohra and they recovered Sonam's mangalsutra and ring from it. "We recovered Sonam's 'mangalsutra' and a ring from the suitcase the couple abandoned at a homestay in Sohra. A married woman leaving behind the ornaments gave us a clue to pursue her as a suspect in the case," Nongrang told PTI.
According to cops, the Indore couple walked into the homestay in Sohra on May 22 without any prior booking. However, after they were told all rooms were booked, the couple left their luggage there before trekking to Nongriat village.
A police officer involved in the probe said, "While their suitcase remained at the Sohra homestay, they spent the night at a homestay in Nongriat before checking out early on May 23. They trekked back to Sohra, took their scooter from the parking and went to Weisawdong Falls, where Raja was allegedly killed by the three contract killers in front of his wife," PTI reported.
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- Meghalaya honeymoon murder: Police bring Sonam Raghuvanshi, other accused to Sohra to recreate crime scene
While cops had nabbed the hired killers and Sonam's alleged lover Raj Kushwaha earlier, Sonam, who was at large, was arrested from a dhaba in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, over 1,000km away from the crime site. On arrest, Sonam claimed she was "drugged and kidnapped". However, police saw through her lies and called her a "poor planner".
According to police, Sonam, along with Raj Kushwaha, plotted to murder Raja. Kushwaha was an employee at the factory run by Sonam's family. Sonam's family has pledged all support for Raja's family in the probe and they said she should be hanged if found guilty.
