In a sensational revelation on Thursday, East Khasi Hills SP Vivek Syiem narrated the entire sequence of events leading to the cold-blooded murder of Raja Raghuwanshi, terming it a pre-planned conspiracy orchestrated by Raj Kushwaha, ‘lover’ of the victim’s wife Sonam Raghuwanshi.
Speaking to media persons, SP Syiem dismissed the angle of a contract killing and instead described it as a crime committed by friends as a “favour” to Raj.“Raj is the mastermind behind Raja’s murder,” Syiem stated. “He hatched the plot, and Sonam—Raja’s wife—supported him throughout.”
According to police, Raj had planned to make Sonam disappear in February this year. The first plan was to drown her in a river. The second plan involved arranging a woman’s dead body and burning it along with Sonam’s scooty, so that everyone would believe Sonam had died. However, both these plans failed.
On May 11, Sonam married Raja Raghuwanshi. Days later, the couple visited the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati. Meanwhile, Raj’s three friends -- Vishal, Anand, and Akash, one of whom is Raj’s cousin -- had already arrived in Guwahati on May 19.
The trio initially planned to kill Raja in Guwahati, but that attempt also failed. Eventually, Sonam herself suggested shifting the plan to Sohra (Cherrapunji), where the group reconvened.According to Syiem, all accused met in a parking lot in Sohra. There, the three men murdered Raja and threw his body into a gorge. Sonam was present during the killing.
Timeline of Events:
Around 2:18 PM, all accused fled the crime scene.
Sonam handed her raincoat to Akash to help cover bloodstains on his shirt.Sonam then rode a scooty out from the scene, later discarding the raincoat at AV Point.After that, Akash began riding the scooty with Sonam riding pillion.The rented scooty, booked earlier by Raja, was later dumped by Anand near the Sohra border.
The police investigation revealed that blood stains were found on Akash’s shirt. After discarding the raincoat, Sonam used a taxi from the local stand. She wore a burqa that had been arranged and delivered by Vishal through Raj.Her escape trail spanned multiple states: from Guwahati to Siliguri by bus, then Patna, Ara, Lucknow, and finally to Indore by bus.
Once the group realised that police had identified them, Raj reportedly told Sonam to leave Indore. SP Syiem said Raj, in a panic, called Sonam and instructed her to contact her family and falsely claim she had escaped from kidnappers.“All five accused have now been arrested. Interrogations are ongoing, and the crime scene will be recreated soon,” SP Syiem concluded.
Meanwhile, Davis NR Marak, the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) for Eastern Range, confirmed that Sonam had confessed her role in the conspiracy.However, the question of who orchestrated the plot remains unresolved."Sonam has admitted her involvement, but she is blaming Raj Kushwaha as the mastermind. Raj, in turn, denies the accusation and points back to Sonam," Marak said.
"Our investigation continues to focus on both of them as the prime suspects." Marak reiterated that Sonam and Raj are both central to the case, as they appear to have been involved in an affair, which could have been a motive for the crime.
Despite Sonam's confession, investigators are still working to determine who initiated the murder plan. Regarding the financial aspect of the crime, Marak said it is unclear whether Sonam promised the contract killers a sum of Rs 20 lakh for carrying out the murder.
"We are still investigating this and are questioning the accused about any financial transactions. Only after we verify their statements will we be able to confirm the details," he said.Sonam, according to Marak, has denied any direct involvement in the killing itself.
However, the contract killers have testified that it was them, not Sonam, who physically murdered Raja. They have also stated that Sonam assisted them in transporting Raja’s body to the location where it was eventually disposed of, at the Weisawdong gorge.
Marak noted that the investigation team is working to reconcile inconsistencies in the statements provided by the accused."We plan to take all the accused to the crime scene in Sohra once we have clarified their accounts during further questioning," he explained."The goal is to ensure the facts align with the statements provided."
While some of the accused have denied conducting a reconnaissance of Weisawdong before the murder, Marak acknowledged that this possibility remains under investigation. Responding to a question about the use of lie detectors, Marak explained that the SIT plans to first verify the statements provided by the accused.
"Once the accused give their statements, we must physically verify the details they provide—whether they went to a specific place or did something else—and only then can we consider further measures like lie detectors," he said.The DIG also confirmed that the police will be seeking assistance from law enforcement agencies in other states, including Guwahati, to aid in the investigation.
Marak assured the public that all individuals directly involved in Raja's murder have been arrested. However, he stated that the investigation remains ongoing, and additional suspects may be identified as more evidence is uncovered.Scooter Rentals and Evidence Recovery The investigation has revealed that three scooters were rented from Shillong in connection with the crime.
One of these scooters, which was used by Sonam and Raja, was found parked at Sohra Rim and seized by the police.The investigators are still working to track the other two scooters, which were used by the contract killers. "It seems that after committing the murder, Sonam accompanied the contract killers up to Mawkdok, after which the killers continued on their path while Sonam proceeded to Guwahati and then back to Indore," Marak explained.
The scooters were abandoned at Sohra Rim, and it remains unclear whether it was Sonam or the contract killers who left them there." As the investigation moves forward, authorities are continuing to piece together the events surrounding Raja Raghuvanshi’s tragic death, with Sonam, Raj, and the contract killers at the center of the case.