Team News Riveting
Shillong, June 11
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the sensational honeymoon murder mystery involving Sonam and three others has termed the case “watertight”.
The agency indicated that a chargesheet will be filed at record speed.
East Khasi Hills SP Vivek Syiem said within just seven days of investigation, the SIT has managed to accumulate substantial evidence leading to the arrest of the accused. “It is a watertight case, and I am hoping to file the charge-sheet at the earliest. The SIT has worked with full commitment and we’ve gathered good evidence. In the coming days, we will document this as a robust case,” he added.
Police said that Sonam Raghuvanshi and the accused, Raj had remained in touch even after the marriage, primarily over the phone. However, efforts to recover their mobile data have been hindered, as Sonam Raghuvanshi and the three accused allegedly disposed of their phones and SIM cards after committing the crime.
The investigation teams from Patna bringing Sonam Raghuvanshi reached Shillong late Tuesday night, while the Indore team bringing in the four assailants landed on Wednesday. Sonam was taken to Ganesh Das Hospital for a medical check-up last night itself.
The hospital authorities conducted pregnancy test on Sonam as police claimed it was a standard procedure when a married woman had been arrested.
Authorities are expected to conduct a crime scene reconstruction following the initial round of interrogation. “There are multiple levels of examination. Once the accused are questioned, we will decide when to take them for scene reconstruction,” Syiem said.
Sonam’s escape trail has also come under scrutiny. She allegedly took a taxi from Mawkdok to Shillong and then a tourist cab to Guwahati, from where she boarded a train, changing trains en route. The other three accused also travelled to Guwahati via tourist taxi and boarded a train to Indore, without halting in the city.
The police said 15–20-member team worked in parallel on different leads. “There was a lot of data to be pieced together. CCTV footage played a crucial role. We urge homestays to install surveillance cameras to help in such investigations,” he said.
Sonam Raghuvanshi allegedly took the three assailants to Weisawdong, a scenic tourist spot in Sohra. “They met at the spot, walked up together. According to the assailants, Sonam led them to the location where the crime occurred — in broad daylight and in her presence,” the official said.
Interestingly, investigators noted that the route taken by the accused was unusual. “Instead of the usual Tyrna route to Nongriat , they chose the Mawlakhiat road, which is longer and more secluded. It may have been selected after a quick online search for isolated places, giving them the opportunity to carry out the crime unnoticed.”
While it remains unclear whether Sonam had prior knowledge of the location, police believe the plan to kill Raja was already in place although the exact spot might have been decided later.
