Meghalaya Honeymoon Murder Case: Accused Wife Sonam Raghuvanshi Presented in Ghazipur Court

An Indore woman, Sonam Raghuvanshi, accused of plotting her husband's murder during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, surrendered to Uttar Pradesh Police in Ghazipur. Another suspect, Akash Rajput, was arrested in Lalitpur district. Sonam, 24, allegedly orchestrated the killing of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi. She appeared before a local court in Ghazipur for transit remand approval and was expected to be taken into custody by a Meghalaya Police team.

Raja Raghuvanshi, a transport businessman from Indore, was found dead in Meghalaya a week ago. Meghalaya DGP I Nongrang stated that Sonam hired men to kill him. Besides Sonam, three men have been arrested: Akash Rajput from Lalitpur and two others from Indore. In total, five individuals have been detained in connection with the case.

Meghalaya Honeymoon Tragedy

The couple went missing on May 23 while vacationing at Sohra in East Khasi Hills district. Raja's body was discovered on June 2 near Weisawdong waterfalls. Sonam had been missing since then. Ghazipur SP Iraz Raja reported that Sonam was apprehended at Kashi Dhaba on the Varanasi-Ghazipur main road.

After her arrest, Sonam received treatment at Sadar Hospital and was placed at a one-stop centre offering support to women in distress. A dhaba employee mentioned that Sonam requested a phone to contact her parents in Indore, which led Madhya Pradesh Police to trace her location. Subsequently, Uttar Pradesh Police were informed, resulting in her arrest.

Family's Reaction and Investigation Progress

Sonam's brother Govind arrived in Ghazipur from Meghalaya earlier that day. He expressed his willingness to accept any government decision regarding his sister's fate if she is found guilty. "If she is guilty, she should be hanged," he told reporters. Govind admitted he hadn't spoken to or met Sonam yet.

Akash Rajput was detained on Sunday night in Chauki village, Lalitpur district. SP Md Mustaque confirmed that Meghalaya Police are interrogating him and further legal action will follow by the concerned state police. Earlier, DGP Nongrang mentioned that one person was picked up from Uttar Pradesh and two others from Indore by a special investigation team.

Timeline of Events

The Raghuvanshi couple married on May 11 and left for their honeymoon in Meghalaya on May 20. They reached Mawlakhiat village on May 22 using a rented scooter. On May 24, the scooter was found abandoned outside a cafe along the Shillong-Sohra road, prompting a search for them.

Around 6:30 pm on Monday, Meghalaya Police took Sonam into custody from the one-stop centre. Although she was caught at the eatery, police stated she surrendered at Nandganj police station in Ghazipur district.

With inputs from PTI