Four arrested in Raghuvanshi murder case, transit remand of main accused to Shillong underway: SIT

Superintendent of Police (City), East Khasi Hills, and Special Investigation Team (SIT) chief Herbert Pyniaid Kharkongor on Monday, June 9 confirmed significant progress in the Raghuvanshi couple murder case, with four individuals now under arrest.

Speaking to the press, SP Kharkongor stated, “We have arrested four persons in connection with the case. They will be produced before the respective courts, and we are in the process of securing transit remand to bring them to Shillong for further investigation.”

He further informed that a team of Meghalaya Police has reached Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, and is preparing to formally arrest Sonam Raghuvanshi, the alleged mastermind behind the crime. “Our team is about to reach Ghazipur and will soon take custody of Sonam through a transit remand process,” he said.

The breakthrough comes amid growing national attention on the case, which involves allegations of a love triangle and contract killing. The SIT is actively coordinating with law enforcement agencies in other states to ensure swift prosecution and justice.


Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem stated that the first accused arrested is 19-year-old Akash Rajput from Lalitpur, followed by 22-year-old Vishal Singh Chauhan and 21-year-old Raj Singh Kushwaha, both from Indore. 

 

On Sunday, Sonam Raghuvanshi, Raja's wife, who had been missing since the incident, was located in Ghazipur. 

 

Another accused was arrested from the Sagar district, while a fifth individual has been detained at the Nandgarh police station

 

SP Syiem revealed that the crime was committed on May 23, and the accused left Shillong shortly afterwards. 

 

At the time, the police were unaware that it was a case of murder and were investigating it as a missing persons case. Raja’s body was recovered on June 2, leading to the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT). In just seven days, the SIT collected critical evidence and identified the suspects. 

 

Preliminary findings suggest that the crime was carried out by Raj Kushwaha with Sonam’s involvement. SP Syiem added that Sonam and the others had been underground until police intensified operations, which led to her sudden reappearance. 

 

The police believe that once all the accused are in custody, the motive and sequence of events behind the murder will become clear.