The murder of Raja Raghuvanshi during a honeymoon trip to Meghalaya was cracked after investigators found a ‘mangalsutra’ and a ring in a suitcase left behind by his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi at a homestay in Sohra, Meghalaya Director General of Police (DGP) I Nongrang said on Wednesday.

The ornaments provided the first vital clue in what turned out to be a case of a contract killing allegedly orchestrated by Sonam and her boyfriend.

Raja (29) and Sonam (25), who got married in Indore on May 11, arrived in Meghalaya via Guwahati on May 20 for their honeymoon. The couple went missing on May 23 in Sohra in East Khasi Hills, just hours after checking out of a homestay in Nongriat village.

Raja’s body was discovered in a gorge near Weisawdong Falls on June 2. Meanwhile, the search for Sonam came to an end when she surrendered in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur – almost 1,200 kilometres away – on June 9. Police also arrested her boyfriend Raj Kushwaha and three contract killers who were allegedly hired to carry out Raja’s murder.

DGP Nongrang revealed that the key breakthrough came when police recovered Sonam’s ‘mangalsutra’ and a ring from the suitcase left behind at the Sohra homestay. “A married woman leaving behind the ornaments gave us a clue to pursue her as a suspect in the case,” Nongrang said.

A police officer involved in the investigation added that the couple had walked into the Sohra homestay on May 22 without any prior booking and were unable to get a room. They decided to leave their suitcases at the homestay as they planned to trek over 3,000 steps to reach Nongriat village, home to the famed double-decker living root bridge.

That night, the couple stayed at a homestay in Nongriat and checked out early the next morning, May 23. After trekking back to Sohra, they retrieved their scooter from a parking area and rode to Weisawdong Falls. It was there that Raja was allegedly killed in front of Sonam by the three hired killers.

Earlier, a tour guide had informed police that he saw the couple with three Hindi-speaking men while they were trekking back to Sohra from Nongriat, helping the investigation further.

“All the accused have admitted to the crime, and with all the evidence gathered, there is no room for denial,” the police officer said.

A court in Shillong has remanded Sonam, her boyfriend Raj Kushwaha, and the three contract killers to eight-day police custody as investigations continue.

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