Raja Raghuvanshi Murder: Court Grants 8-Day Custody to Sonam and Co-Accused

Shillong: The District Court has granted the police eight days of custody for five individuals implicated in the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi, including his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi. SP (City), East Khasi Hills, Herbert Pyniaid Kharkongor, who heads the Special Investigation Team (SIT), verified this development after the accused were brought before the court. The accused were subsequently transported back to the Shillong Sadar Police Station. The investigation concerns the death of Raja Raghuvanshi, whose body was discovered near Cherrapunji, Meghalaya, on June 2. He was on his honeymoon with Sonam in May 2025 when they were reported missing. Sonam was later found near a dhaba on the Varanasi-Ghazipur highway, along with other suspects. Sonam’s brother, Govind, expressed his conviction about his sister’s involvement, advocating for severe consequences. He also conveyed apologies to Raja’s family and distanced himself and his family from Sonam. Raja’s sister-in-law, Kiran Raghuvanshi, spoke about Sonam’s extensive use of two phones for sending messages. Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills SP, Vivek Syiem, indicated that there is significant evidence pointing to Sonam’s involvement in the murder, pending further investigation.