Shillong (Meghalaya) [India], June 13 (HBTV): In a significant development in the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case, the East Khasi Hills Police have revealed key details, identifying Raj Kushwaha as the mastermind behind the killing, carried out with the involvement of Raja's wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Vivek Syiem stated: ‘The mastermind of this is Raj Kushwaha. Sonam played along with this plan. The three people involved are friends; one is Raj's cousin. It was not a contract killing. They did it as a favour for their friend. Since they were in Indore, they have been planning how Sonam would disappear since February. When Raja and Sonam got married, they came to Kamakhya Devi Temple. The other four people also came here a few days before. They planned to eliminate Raja in Guwahati. Sonam made the plan to come to Shillong.’

Police have arrested the accused, and further investigations are underway to uncover additional details.

On Wednesday, a local court remanded all five primary accused, including Sonam Raghuvanshi, to eight days of police custody. The other four accused have been identified as Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan, Raj Singh Kushwaha, and Anand.

The murder came to light after Raja Raghuvanshi’s body was found in a gorge near Sohra, close to Cherrapunji, on June 2. Sonam Raghuvanshi was later located near a dhaba on the Varanasi-Ghazipur main road.

Raja and Sonam, both residents of Indore in Madhya Pradesh, had recently married and were on their honeymoon in Meghalaya when they went missing.

(ANI)