Shillong: A court in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills district has formally framed charges against five people accused in the sensational murder of Madhya Pradesh businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, who was brutally killed during his honeymoon trip to the state in May this year.
Those charged include Raghuvanshi’s wife, Sonam, her alleged boyfriend Raj Kushwaha, and three contract killers — Vishal Chauhan, Akash Rajput, and Anand Kurmi — all from Madhya Pradesh.
The accused have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The court framed charges under Sections 103(1) (murder), 238(a) (disappearance of evidence), and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Investigations revealed that Raghuvanshi and Sonam had arrived in Shillong on May 21 before travelling to Sohra.
Days later, on May 26, the couple was reported missing, triggering an extensive search involving the police, NDRF, SDRF, and local trekking groups.
After nearly a week of search operations, Raghuvanshi’s body was found on June 2 in a deep gorge near the Wei Sawdong waterfalls in Sohra.
The case was registered at Sohra police station, and subsequent investigation uncovered that Sonam was allegedly in a relationship with Kushwaha.
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Police alleged that the duo plotted the murder with the help of the three hired assassins, who executed the killing in Sonam’s presence. All five were arrested within a week of the crime.
A detailed 790-page chargesheet was filed before the Judicial Magistrate First Class, Sohra Sub-Division, on September 5.
The court noted that there was prima facie evidence to proceed against the accused, setting the stage for the trial to begin soon.
Meanwhile, police said they are preparing a second chargesheet against three others — Silom James, Lokendra Tomar, and Balbir Ahirbar — for their alleged involvement in destroying evidence related to the case.
