Raja Raghuvanshi’s family demanded the death penalty for the Indore-based businessman’s murderers on Saturday, a day after the Meghalaya police filed the chargesheet against his wife Sonam and other accused.
The East Khasi Hills police on Friday submitted a 790-page chargesheet before the judicial magistrate first class, Sohra Sub-Division. The document, supported by material evidence and enclosures, names eight people, including Sonam, her alleged lover Raj Kushwaha, and three of his friends — Vishal Singh Chauhan, Akash Singh Rajput, and Anand Kurmi.
Three others — Lokendra Tomar, Balla Ahirwar and Shilom James – were also charged for allegedly destroying evidence.
“They have been charged under sections 103(1) (murder), 238(a) (disappearance of evidence) and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita,” superintendent of police (East Khasi Hills) Vivek Syiem said in a statement.
Police said Raja and Sonam travelled to Shillong on May 21 before heading to Sohra. On May 26, both were reported missing, prompting a massive search operation involving Sohra police, Special Operations Team (SOT), NDRF, SDRF, trekking groups, and local villagers.
On June 2, Raja’s body was recovered from a deep gorge at Arliang Riat Kunongrim, Umblai, near the Wei Sawdong falls. Investigators later established that Sonam and Kushwaha had plotted his killing with the help of hired assailants.
According to police, Rajput, Chauhan and Kurmi carried out the murder in Sonam’s presence at the gorge.
Speaking to PTI in Indore, Raja’s elder brother Vipin Raghuvanshi said the family was satisfied with the police probe but wanted the harshest punishment possible.
“My family has only one demand, that is — along with Sonam and Kushwaha, all five accused be sentenced to death,” Vipin said. He added that while the family had not yet seen the full chargesheet, “the charges slapped against the accused were strong.”
Soon after Sonam’s arrest in June, her elder brother Govind visited the Raghuvanshis’ home and declared his support for justice. But on Saturday, Vipin alleged that Govind had misled them.
“Govind had said he stood with our family, but we came to know that he has hired a lawyer to defend Sonam,” Vipin said, adding that his family had engaged their own lawyer to pursue the case.
The murder case had been handed to a Special Investigation Team led by East Khasi Hills SP (City) Herbert Kharkongor. Within a week of the probe, Sonam, Kushwaha, and the three assailants were traced to Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
The later arrests of Tomar, Ahirwar and James from Gwalior, Shadora and Dewas rounded out the eight people accused in the case. Police allege the trio helped destroy evidence to shield the killers.
For Raja’s family right now, the demand is the harshest punishment possible, the death penalty.