Meghalaya police sends rusted murder weapon for forensic test in Raja Raghuvanshi case

East Khasi Hills SP Vivek Syiem said the rusted murder weapon recovered in the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case has been sent to central forensics to verify if any bloodstains are present.

“We are sending it to ascertain any biological evidence. Our aim is to file the chargesheet within 90 days,” he told reporters.

The District Session Court in Shillong on Thursday sent Sonam Raghuvanshi and Raj Kushwaha to two days of police custody, while the other three accused — Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan, and Anand — were remanded to 14 days of judicial custody in connection with the brutal murder of Raja Raghuvanshi, the Indore-based businessman who was killed during his honeymoon in Meghalaya.

Earlier in the day, all five accused were brought to Shillong Civil Hospital for medical examination before being produced in court. 

A team of Shillong Police also questioned the taxi driver who transported Sonam from Indore to Uttar Pradesh after the crime. The driver told reporters, “They had called me regarding the vehicle. I have told them everything.”

Meanwhile, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Meghalaya Police on Tuesday carried out a crime scene reconstruction in Sohra with the accused present. East Khasi Hills SP Vivek Syiem described the reconstruction as "very successful", stating that it provided a clear picture of how the crime was executed.

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“We started from the parking lot where the two-wheelers were parked, then moved to the viewpoint where the murder occurred. Each accused — Vishal, Anand, and Akash — delivered one blow each. One more machete used in the crime is still missing. The SDRF is working to recover it,” SP Syiem said.

Raja’s mobile phone was also deliberately destroyed post-murder — first by Sonam, then by Vishal, according to police.

“The entire exit route of the accused was replayed. Sonam moved away after the first blow was struck, while the three others disposed of the body,” SP Syiem revealed.

Speaking to ANI, Syiem confirmed, “Sonam has already confessed to the crime. She was present at the murder spot and later destroyed the victim’s phone. The murder was pre-planned, and all three accused dumped Raja’s body together.”

The murder weapon, now rusted, has been sent for central forensic analysis to check for bloodstains, as police work toward filing the chargesheet within 90 days.

Raja Raghuvanshi’s body was discovered in a gorge near Sohra on June 2, days after he and Sonam were reported missing during their honeymoon. Sonam was later found near a roadside dhaba on the Varanasi-Ghazipur highway in Uttar Pradesh.

Police have arrested five people so far, including Sonam and her boyfriend Raj Kushwaha, who allegedly operated under the alias Sanjay Verma, along with three accomplices. Investigations are ongoing to uncover the full extent of the conspiracy.