2 Men Accused in Meghalaya Honeymoon Murder Retract Confessions, Remain Silent Before Magistrate: Police

Two of the five men accused of aiding Sonam Raghuvanshi in the murder of her husband Raja Raghuvanshi during their honeymoon in Meghalaya have withdrawn their earlier “confessions” and declined to testify before a magistrate, the police said.

Shillong City Superintendent of Police Herbert Pyniaid Kharkongor, who leads the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case, confirmed that Akash Rajput and Anand Kurmi chose to remain silent during their appearance before the magistrate on Thursday. “We produced only two of the five accused before the magistrate. They opted not to make any statements. However, we have substantial material evidence and are awaiting the forensic lab report,” Mr Kharkongor stated.

Earlier, the Meghalaya Police had claimed that all accused had confessed to the crime. However, Mr Kharkongor clarified that police confessions alone are not admissible in court. “They have the right to remain silent. But we are relying on solid material evidence, which is also critical in securing a conviction.”

Statements given under Section 180 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) help investigators during questioning and cross-examination, but only those recorded before a magistrate under Section 183 carry legal weight in court.

Apart from Akash and Anand, another man, Vishal Singh Chauhan, also assisted Sonam and her lover, Raj Kushwaha, in carrying out the murder. The case, initially reported as a “missing couple” alert, took a tragic turn when 29-year-old Raja’s body was discovered on June 2, nearly 20 km from the couple’s last known location in Nongriat, where they had checked out from a homestay on May 23.

The newlyweds, both from Indore, were married on May 11. Sonam was reportedly in a relationship with Raj, an accountant at her family’s business, before marrying Raja. According to police, her cousin Jitendra Raghuvanshi made an initial payment to the three accused – Akash, Vishal, and Anand – to carry out the murder.

Sonam was found in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur on June 8 and surrendered at the Nandganj police station. Akash, Vishal, and Anand had been arrested earlier from locations in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Raj Kushwaha was arrested later. On June 11, Sonam reportedly confessed to the murder.

Her brother Govind has publicly distanced the family from Sonam, expressing full support for Raja’s family and vowing to assist them in pursuing justice.

On Tuesday, Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, who also oversees the Home Department, stated that the investigation was expanding beyond just the love affair angle. Three additional arrests were made: Lokendra Singh Tomar (owner of the flat where Sonam stayed in Indore), property dealer Silome James (who rented the flat to Vishal), and Balbir Ahirbar, aka ‘Ballu’, a local security guard.

News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.