Meghalaya Honeymoon Murder Case: Judicial Custody for Accused

Judicial Custody Granted in Murder Case

A district and sessions court in Shillong, Meghalaya, has ordered Sonam Raghuvanshi and Raj Kushwaha to remain in judicial custody for 13 days in relation to the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi. Vivek Syiem, the Superintendent of Police for East Khasi Hills, confirmed that both individuals have been remanded to custody.

According to Assistant Public Prosecutor Tushar Chanda, the police did not request custody, leading the court to impose a 13-day judicial remand. Chanda stated, “The court has remanded both the accused for 13 days of judicial custody. The police did not ask for custody, and the Investigating Officer requested judicial custody instead.”

Earlier, the court had sent three other suspects—Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan, and Anand—to 14 days of judicial custody. This action followed the arrest of five individuals connected to the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi, who was on his honeymoon when the incident occurred. Among those arrested were his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, and the aforementioned suspects.

Raja Raghuvanshi's body was discovered in a gorge near Sohra (Cherrapunji) on June 2. His wife was later located near a roadside eatery along the Varanasi-Ghazipur highway. The couple, originally from Indore, Madhya Pradesh, had gone missing during their honeymoon in Meghalaya. As part of the investigation, the Meghalaya Police's Special Investigation Team (SIT) reconstructed the crime scene with the involvement of the accused, including Sonam Raghuvanshi.

SP Vivek Syiem remarked that the crime scene reconstruction was successful, providing a clearer understanding of the events. He noted that one additional machete used in the murder is still unaccounted for. “The SIT visited various locations to reenact the crime. We began at the parking area where the suspects had parked their vehicles and moved to the viewpoint to determine their positions before the murder. The sequence of blows was identified: the first by Vishal, the second by Anand, and the final blow by Akash. We are still searching for the second machete,” he explained.

SP Syiem also revealed that Sonam Raghuvanshi and Vishal had tampered with Raja Raghuvanshi's mobile phone post-murder. “We have established the fate of Raja's phone. Sonam damaged it, followed by Vishal. This sequence of events, including their escape, has been thoroughly examined,” he stated. He added, “It has been confirmed that the victim was struck with the weapon. The initial blow was delivered by Vishal, and when Raja was injured, Sonam distanced herself from the scene. The three suspects then disposed of the body.”