Wife Sonam among four held, cops say she ‘hired killers’ to ‘murder’ Raja Raghuvanshi
New Delhi, June 9- Sonam Raghuvanshi has been arrested, for alleged murder of husband Raja Raghuvanshi, an Indore resident whose decomposed body was found in a gorge of Weisawdong falls last Monday.
Meghalaya director general of police (DGP) I Nongrang said on Monday that Raja was “ killed by assailants hired by wife Sonam” who “surrendered to police in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh.” while three other accused were arrested during overnight operations.
On their honeymoon in Meghalaya, Raja and Sonam had “disappeared” on May 23.
The shocking turn of events has provided some relief Meghalaya—the northeastern state reeling under the high per capita crime rate and concerns over safety and security of tourists.
With a crime rate of 5.1 per capita, higher than Delhi’s 5.0 according to the NCRB’s 2024 data, Meghalaya is often flagged for safety concerns, particularly in certain tribal regions.
Rising crime incidents despite a small population base had added it to the dubious list of 10 Indian states with the highest per capita crime rates.
The murder of Raja Raghuvanshi was being seen as a reflection on not just the prevailing crime situation in Meghalaya but the entire northeast.
Earlier, Raja’s family had voiced suspicion on some locals, but the police said all locals had been questioned and there was no possibility of their involvement.
Nongrang said the arrested men confessed that they had been hired by Raja’s wife to carry out the murder and the operation is still continuing in Madhya Pradesh to apprehend others involved in the crime. Chief minister Conrad K Sangma congratulated the police for cracking the case that shocked the state and the nation.
Police said Raja was hacked to death with a ‘dao’ (machete).
Sonam’s arrest has provided the society with yet another shocker about relationships and the limits of criminal minds.
Several shocking crimes involving married and unmarried couples have been reported in the past few months.
