Indore (Madhya Pradesh) [India], June 20 (HBTV): The owner of a restaurant in Indore, where the accused in the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case reportedly met, said on Thursday that the incident has tarnished the name of the entire city and dishonoured the legacy of Devi Ahilya Bai.

Restaurant owner Jai Soni expressed regret that his establishment was mentioned in connection with the crime, calling it a matter of shame and embarrassment.

Speaking to ANI, Soni said, ‘Nandbagh and Kushwaha Nagar localities, where the houses of the accused are situated, are only around 1 to 1.5 kilometres away from here. So maybe they came here, but I am not sure that I have seen them. On June 10, I received information from the police about checking the CCTV footage of the restaurant. I clearly stated that I have a record of eight to ten days — we have only that much capacity. If they wish to check, they can proceed. We have no problem.’

He further said, ‘This incident has ruined the name of the entire Indore city. It has made the city of Maa Ahilya impure. It is the worst incident. You got married and had vowed for seven births, but you killed him within a few days. It is wrong — you should not have married, or even after getting married, you could have walked away. Killing someone was not a solution.’

Soni added that only the family which has suffered the loss can truly explain the pain, noting that ‘the city of Devi Ahilyabai got impure.’

When asked about his restaurant being named in the case, he said, ‘I feel very embarrassed that they claimed they planned the incident while sitting here. I am ashamed that the name of our restaurant is being brought up in this case. It is a matter of embarrassment. Though I don’t think any planning was done here — nobody would do that in such a public place.’

The Meghalaya Police have arrested five individuals in connection with the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi, a newlywed who was on his honeymoon in the state. Those arrested include his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, and four others: Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan, Raj Singh Kushwaha, and Anand.

Raja Raghuvanshi’s body was found in a gorge near Sohra (Cherrapunji) on June 2. Sonam was later found near a roadside dhaba along the Varanasi-Ghazipur highway. The couple, both residents of Indore, had gone missing during their honeymoon trip to Meghalaya.

(ANI)