The Shillong police have unveiled the chilling events of the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case at a press conference. Soon after, the Aaj Tak/India Today team reached the site where Raja was assassinated, and his body was discarded in a gorge. So what was Sonam's burqa-clad conspiracy? How did Sonam plot her own 'death' not once, but twice? How did attempts to kill the king at Guwahati and later in Cherrapunji lead, ultimately, to success at the fourth location? Here’s the complete report from the crime scene.
After initial interrogations with Sonam, Raj, and the other three suspects while in police custody, Shillong's SP held a press briefing. SP Shillong Vivek stated that the king murder mastermind is Raj Kushwaha, assisted and conspired with by Sonam. All of the accused have confessed to their involvement.
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Just 11 days before her wedding, Raj hatched the murder plot. The three accomplices were motivated by friendship, and one was Raj’s cousin. No money changed hands. The plot began in February when Sonam decided that if she disappeared, it would appear that she had drowned in a river. Alternatively, they planned to kill someone else, leave that body on Sonam’s scooter, and set it ablaze, creating the illusion that Sonam had been murdered. But when neither plan followed through, Raja and Sonam got married.
Also read: Sonam's Cunning Plan... A plan to fake her own death was devised by plotting the murder of another girl, a sensational revelation by Shillong police
Post-wedding, they journeyed to Kamakhya. On May 19, the three accused also arrived, planning to execute the murder in Guwahati. When that failed, Sonam proposed a trip to Sohra.
The suspect group met in Nongriat. In the midst of the parking area at Waisdome, during Raja’s restroom break, the trio executed the murder while Sonam watched. The body was thrown into a gorge, all between 2:00 and 2:18 pm. The group left the murder scene at 2:18 pm. The raincoat that Sonam wore was handed over to Akash, stained in blood.
On leaving Waisdome, Sonam rode a scooter herself. As they reached the AV Point, Akash dismounted and discarded the raincoat, then Sonam sat behind him as he rode away. Anand rode the other scooter earlier used by Raja and Sonam. Thereafter, Sonam boarded a taxi with a burqa provided by Raj for anonymity and reached Guwahati.
Sonam then took a bus from ISBT to Siliguri, from Siliguri another bus to Patna, bused from Patna to Ara, took a train to Lucknow, and finally traveled by bus to Indore. She stayed in Indore from May 26 to June 8.
The guide mentioned the presence of three individuals. This turned public through media, alarming Raj, who heard about police identifying three suspected individuals. He instructed Sonam to leave Indore, suggesting she head to Siliguri to feign being a kidnap victim.
Also read: Within just 18 minutes, King was killed... then the body dumped into a gorge, cunning Sonam stayed in Indore for 14 days following the murder
As Sonam prepared to leave Indore on June 8, police teams were located in U.P. and M.P. Raj caught wind of a team potentially picking someone up from UP and became rattled. He advised Sonam to inform her family of a kidnapping escape narrative, thus recounting the tale from Ghazipur.
This wasn’t a contract killing. Raj Kushwaha funded 59,000 rupees for expenditures, with monetary constraints remaining unaddressed. The plot revolves around affairs of the heart, with Raj being the plotter.
Schemes to kill Raja and relieve the suspects of his plight unfolded in various locales. Attempts went awry thrice, culminating in murder at the fourth setting. Guwahati, then Nongriat where no burial spot was identified, Mawalkhiat was a dead-end, but ultimately Waisdome, where Raja was killed during a restroom break.
Jitendra's status remains elusive to Shillong police, pending an eight-day interrogation. The questioning has merely begun, extending custody might follow. Sonam wed amidst family pressure. Her family might’ve been unaware of the romantic connection with Raj.
Additionally, explore: From Selfie Deaths to Contract Murders: How Sonam Convived the Entire Murder Plot of King Raghuvanshi, a Terrifying Conspiracy
Raj, the mastermind, found a partner in Sonam for the murder. No recon was conducted but once, in Guwahati, since the alleged had arrived earlier. The murder plan was laid out 11 days prior to marriage. On June 2, when Raja's corpse surfaced, Sonam was reportedly in Indore.
The SP articulated possession of substantial evidence, pledging to charge before 90 days. Sonam purportedly loved someone else, yet yielded to marrying Raja under duress, family unawareness of the affair under examination.
On June 8, Sonam aimed for Siliguri to play kidnap victim. Raj orchestrated the car setup, but with the first arrest, Sonam headed to Ghazipur. Advancements in this case are in line to recreate scenes. Sonam aimed to appear kidnapped, reappearing suddenly. The accused anticipated that decomposition would mask the identity of the body, facilitating her victim narrative. For months, the corpse might remain unidentified.
