Indore man's murder: His wife planned Meghalaya trip, says victim's mother

Indore: The mother of Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, who was murdered in Meghalaya, on Monday claimed his wife Sonam planned the trip to the northeastern state for their honeymoon but did not book the return ticket.

Uma Raghuvanshi also said her son Raja and Sonam had an arranged marriage and her behaviour was good with their family, due to which they never had any doubt on her.

Raghuvanshi was allegedly killed by men, hired by his wife, during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, the north-eastern state's police said on Monday morning.

Sonam surrendered before the Nandganj police station in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur, while three other assailants were arrested in overnight raids, Meghalaya DGP I Nongrang told PTI.

Of the three arrested men, two are from Madhya Pradesh’s Indore and one from Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh, she said.

One more person was arrested from Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district on Monday, Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills SP Vivek Syiem said.

After their marriage on May 11, Raghuvanshi and his wife left for Meghalaya on May 20. They went missing while vacationing in Sohra area in East Khasi Hills district on May 23. Raghuvanshi's body was found in a gorge on June 2.

While Raghuvanshi's family has been left stunned with the turn of events, Sonam's father claimed his daughter was innocent and demanded a CBI probe into the matter.

Uma Raghuvanshi told reporters, "My son went to Meghalaya with Sonam on her insistence. He did not want to go on honeymoon so soon. My son had told me that Sonam booked tickets for the trip to Meghalaya. I told him that if the ticket has been booked, then he should go to Meghalaya with his wife." "My son also told me that although Sonam had not booked the return ticket for both of them from Meghalaya, they will return to Indore in six-seven days," she said.

Uma Raghuvanshi said she was shocked to see the latest picture of Sonam (from Ghazipur) because there was not even a scratch mark on the body of her daughter-in-law who went missing last month along with her son, while he was murdered.

"I want to hear from Sonam, where, why and in what condition she left Raja," she said.

Raghuvanshi's mother claimed that after the couple's engagement, Sonam did not spend enough time with her son and avoided going out with him before marriage.

"When we had asked Sonam about this, she said that she has a lot of work to do in the office. Sonam said if she is not able to call my son, then my son can also call her," she said.

"Sonam's mother had told me that her family is very strict against a man and a woman meeting before marriage and Sonam's father does not like such meetings," she said.

She also said Raja and Sonam's wedding (arranged marriage) was held in a traditional way with the consent of the couple and both the families. After the marriage, Sonam's behaviour was good with their family, due to which they did not have any doubt on her, she added.

"My son was very happy after the marriage. He wanted Sonam as his wife from the bottom of his heart. We still cannot believe that she could get her husband killed. It would have been better if my son had remained unmarried as it could have saved his life," she said.

Uma Raghuvanshi said if Sonam got her son killed, then she should be hanged to death.

The distraught mother further said she feels quite restless at night after losing her son.

"I tell my son's photo that whoever did wrong to him should be punished," she said.

Uma Raghuvanshi also said her son and their family had no idea about Raj Kushwaha, the prime suspect in the murder case.