Ghazipur, June 9 — In a major development in the alleged murder of Indore resident Raja Raghuvanshi during his honeymoon in Meghalaya, police on Monday said that his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, surrendered under pressure in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur district. Three other accused have been arrested, while one remains on the run.
The Meghalaya Police confirmed that Sonam had orchestrated the murder by hiring contract killers. She was traced to the Kashi Dhaba on the Varanasi–Ghazipur main road and surrendered at the Nandganj police station late Sunday night.
“Sonam surrendered under pressure last night, bringing the total number of arrests in the case to four. One accused remains absconding. Sonam will be brought back to Meghalaya for court proceedings,” said Meghalaya Inspector General of Police Dalton P. Marak.
Uttar Pradesh Additional Director General (Law and Order) Amitabh Yash confirmed that Sonam had been sent to Sadar Hospital for medical examination and is currently housed at a One Stop Centre.
The murder investigation has taken national attention after the mysterious disappearance of the couple on May 23. Ten days later, Raja’s body was discovered in a deep gorge beneath the Weisawdong Parking Lot at Riat Arliang. A bloodstained machete suspected to be the murder weapon was recovered nearby.
Following the discovery, Sonam too had gone missing, prompting a coordinated multi-state search. According to police sources, the assailants arrested in connection with the crime are from Madhya Pradesh.
Meghalaya Director General of Police Idashisha Nongrang said that the investigation is ongoing and all suspects are being interrogated for further leads.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma acknowledged the police breakthrough in a post on X, stating:
“Within 7 days a major breakthrough has been achieved by the Meghalaya Police in the Raja murder case … 3 assailants who are from Madhya Pradesh have been arrested, female has surrendered and operation still on to catch 1 more assailant .. well done.”
Families of both Raja and Sonam have demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the case, alleging that the Meghalaya police failed to properly investigate key leads, including CCTV footage and GPS data from the couple’s rented scooty. These records reportedly indicated the presence of three to four other individuals at the crime scene.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking a CBI probe to ensure justice is served.
The investigation continues.
—With inputs from news agencies
