The complex murder case of Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi has seen a breakthrough, with police confirming that the three contract killers involved have confessed to their crime. The investigation, spanning three states—Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh—culminated in the arrest of all five accused, including Raja's wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, who is alleged to have orchestrated the murder.
Raja Raghuvanshi, from Indore, Madhya Pradesh, was murdered in Shillong, Meghalaya, during his honeymoon trip. His wife, Sonam, accused of plotting the murder, was apprehended in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh. After 17 days of intensive investigation by police forces in Indore and Shillong, every detail of the case has reportedly been uncovered. All five accused are now in police custody and are being transported to Shillong.
In an exclusive conversation, Poonam Chand Yadav, ACP Crime Branch, Indore Police, confirmed that the accused arrested in Madhya Pradesh have confessed. They revealed that they traveled by train to Guwahati, then proceeded to Shillong, where they collectively killed Raja Raghuvanshi.
ACP Yadav stated that bloodstains were found on the clothes of accused Vishal, believed to be worn on the day of the incident, and these have been sent for forensic analysis. She added that Sonam Raghuvanshi might be brought from Shillong to Indore for further investigation if required. A team from Shillong Police recently visited Indore to gather information and departed with the four accused after receiving full cooperation.
Raja and Sonam Raghuvanshi were married on May 11 in Indore. Nine days later, on May 20, they embarked on their honeymoon trip to Meghalaya. On May 23, Raja went missing, sparking a search and various allegations from his family. On June 2, Raja's body was discovered in a deep ditch near a waterfall in the Sohra area of East Khasi Hills district, Meghalaya. The postmortem report confirmed that he died from injuries inflicted by a sharp weapon.
Raja's family initially suspected a local Meghalayan group, believing Raja was killed and Sonam kidnapped and taken to Bangladesh, leading them to demand a CBI inquiry. Missing posters of Sonam were widely circulated. However, Shillong police continued their own investigation. Sonam's lack of social media posts with Raja during the honeymoon, despite being active on Instagram and Facebook, raised initial suspicions. Further, a post made from Raja's account at 2:15 PM on the day of the murder, reading "Saat Janmon Ka Saath Hai," after the alleged killing, heightened police suspicion against her.
On June 4, Shillong police obtained concrete information linking Sonam to Raja's murder. A jacket found at the crime scene belonged to accused Akash, and a raincoat found belonged to Sonam. Forensic analysis revealed bloodstains on Sonam's raincoat, which she had reportedly given to Akash due to the rainy weather. This solidified police suspicions that Sonam was not missing but hiding.
On June 8, acting on a crucial lead, Shillong police traveled to Madhya Pradesh and arrested the accused involved in the murder: Sonam's alleged lover Raj Raghuvanshi (from Indore), contract killers Vishal alias Vicky Thakur (from Indore), Akash Rajput (from Lalitpur, UP), and Anand (from Bina, MP). Sonam was arrested from Ghazipur, UP.
Police sources indicate that Vishal alias Vicky Thakur delivered the first blow to Raja with a sharp weapon, which was reportedly procured near Guwahati railway station. After the murder, all the accused met 11 kilometers away and dispersed after spending a day in Guwahati.
To apprehend them, Meghalaya Police launched "Operation Honeymoon" on June 7, deploying 120 police personnel. On June 8, teams comprising 15 to 20 officers fanned out across different locations in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh to make the arrests.
