GUWAHATI: All five accused of the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case confessed to their involvement in the crime, Meghalaya Police said on Thursday.
Addressing a press conference in Shillong, East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem said Sonam was an active conspirator while her alleged boyfriend Raj Kushwaha was the mastermind. The conspiracy was hatched weeks before and finalised 11 days before Raja and Sonam had got married.
Syiem refused to call it a contract killing, stating that the alleged assailants – Vishal Chauhan, Akash Rajput and Anand Kurmi – had done a favour to Raj.
The SP said the assailants made multiple attempts to eliminate Raja, first in Guwahati, but it did not materialise. Eventually near the Weisawdong falls in Sohra (Cherrapunjee) area, the three took turns to hack Raja to death.
After committing the crime, the assailants fled the scene riding some scooters, including the one that Raja and Sonam had hired from Shillong to go to Sohra.
Sonam had worn a burqa that Raj had arranged and gave to Vishal. She reached Shillong wearing it and then, left for Guwahati in a taxi. She changed buses at multiple places before reaching Indore.
While she was in Indore, Raj had advised Sonam to flee to Siliguri and pretend she was abducted. However, the plan did not succeed as by then, the Meghalaya Special Investigation Team started making the arrests.
However, the plan did not succeed as by then, the Meghalaya Special Investigation Team started making the arrests.
Sonam had told her interrogators that she was forced into the marriage. The SP said it emerged during interrogation that Sonam was in love with Raj but entered into an arranged marriage with Raja.
Earlier in the day, Meghalaya DIG Davis NR Marak said, “She has confessed that she was part of the conspiracy. But the question about who the mastermind was needs to be established. She is blaming Raj (Raj Kushwaha, her alleged boyfriend), whereas Raj is putting the blame on her.”
“The statements of the contract killers suggest that Sonam had helped in lifting the body of Raja after the murder and throwing it into the gorge,” Marak further stated.
The revelation comes a day after a Shillong court had sent the five accused to eight-day Meghalaya Police remand.