The killers of Raja Raghuvanshi had considered murdering him in Guwahati, Nongriat and Dawki before committing the crime at Weisawdong in Sohra, police said today.
Raja’s wife Sonam, her alleged lover Raj Kushwaha and three others are suspects in the case. They are being interrogated by Meghalaya police.
East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem said that the failure to kill Raja in Guwahati prompted Sonam to persuade him to come to Sohra and the three suspected contract killers – Akash Rajput, Vikash Singh Chauhan and Anand Kurmi – followed. Kushwaha is believed not to have travelled to Meghalaya, instead directing proceedings from Indore.
Syiem said that the conspirators had planned to kill Raja at Nongriat on the night of May 22 but they could not find a place to dispose of his body if they murdered him there. Instead, the following morning they left Nongriat with the intention of going to Dawki to fulfil their evil purpose but ultimately executed the murder in Weisawdong.
According to the SP, Kushwaha was the mastermind behind the crime and Sonam was involved in it. The lovers plotted to kill Raja 11 days before the arranged marriage of Sonam and Raja.
Raj and the three other accused are friends and investigations have revealed that the trio were already paid Rs 50,000 for travel and accommodation in Shillong and Guwahati. The machete used to kill Raja is also thought to have been purchased in Guwahati.
Women’s organisation castigates slander against Meghalaya, condoles Raja’s death
Meanwhile, the Lympung Ki Seng Kynthei, a women’s social organisation, has expressed grave concern over the recent murder of Raja.
In a statement today, Theilin Phanbuh, president of the organisation, condemned the hate speech and accusations made against the people of Meghalaya on social media and the national media. Phanbuh demanded an apology from those who maligned the image of the state and its people.
She praised the search teams, including the state police, NRDF, SRDF and local adventurers, who worked tirelessly to recover the victim’s body. Phanbuh also congratulated the police for cracking the case within a few days.
The Lympung Ki Seng Kynthei demanded severe punishment for the perpetrators and extended its condolences to the family of the victim.
Vicious blows to the head led to Raja’s death, autopsy finds
Raja Raghuvanshi’s post-mortem report reveals that he died from severe head injuries caused by a sharp cutting weapon, classified as homicidal.
The report, released to the press today, showed that the injuries included fractures to the left parietal bone, frontal bone and occipital bone – all part of the human skull. There was also damage to the dura mater, a layer of membrane under these bones.
Although some media reports suggested that Raja’s throat had been slit, no injuries were found on the neck, though this could be due to the partial decomposition of the body; the murder is believed to have been carried out on May 23 and Raja’s body was found only on June 2.
The investigation led to the arrest of Raja’s wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, and four accomplices. Sonam allegedly plotted her husband’s murder with her lover, Raj Kushwaha, and hired contract killers to execute the plan during their honeymoon in Meghalaya.
The police discovered a machete, believed to be the murder weapon, near Raja’s body. Exactly who dealt the fatal blow/s is as yet unknown.
All five accused are currently being interrogated by police after the court granted eight days custody.
