Raja Raghuvanshi murder: Three killers stayed in Guwahati lodge, posed as students

A Shillong court on Wednesday granted eight-day police custody to 24-year-old Sonam and her four alleged accomplices.

A chilling investigation into the murder of businessman Raja Raghuvanshi during his honeymoon in Meghalaya has uncovered that the three hired killers stayed at a lodge in Guwahati days before the crime.

According to India Today NE, the trio, Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh and Anand Kurmi, checked into Anand Lodge in Panbazar on May 19 at 8.30 pm, posing as students. They left for Shillong early the next morning, just three days before Raja was killed.

A Shillong court on Wednesday granted eight-day police custody to 24-year-old Sonam and her four alleged accomplices. Police had sought 10 days of remand. "The court granted 8 days of police custody," said East Khasi Hills district SP Vivek Syiem. Investigators will use this time to reconstruct the crime scene in Sohra.

Sonam was arrested in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, on Monday, while the three alleged killers were nabbed in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. She was brought to Guwahati airport late Tuesday night before being taken to Shillong.

Dubbed ‘Operation Honeymoon’, the probe has unearthed evidence from the accused’s homes in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Police say Sonam meticulously planned her escape after the murder.

Sonam has confessed to planning his brutal killing just weeks after their wedding. According to NDTV, Sonam admitted that she had plotted the murder for some time, allegedly enlisting her lover, Raj Kushwaha and the three hired men to carry out the crime.

The investigation, codenamed ‘Operation Honeymoon’, has uncovered that Sonam meticulously orchestrated the attack, which took place during the couple’s trip to Meghalaya. Police say Raja was killed in a premeditated assault, with Sonam’s confession now serving as a crucial piece of evidence.

Sonam was arrested in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur, while the three accused killers were nabbed in Indore. According to SP Syiem, Sonam escaped the crime scene using a local taxi from Mawkdok and boarded a train from Guwahati. She kept changing trains during her journey to Indore to evade detection. Her accomplices, who were arrested from Indore, also used a tourist taxi to travel to Guwahati railway station before heading out by train.

Raja and Sonam, who married on May 11 in Indore, had gone to Meghalaya for their honeymoon. The couple vanished on May 23 after checking out of a Nongriat village homestay. Raja’s body was found in a gorge on June 2, identified by a tattoo on his right hand.