Meghalaya police said on Thursday evening that Raj Kushwaha was the “mastermind” behind the murder of Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, 30, during his honeymoon in Sohra on May 23.

East Khasi Hills superintendent of police Vivek Syiem disclosed this after the first day of interrogation of the five accused, including Raja’s wife Sonam Raghuvanshi, in Shillong.

Earlier in the day, DIG (Eastern Range) Davis N.R. Marak had said Sonam and Raj had confessed to being part of the conspiracy to kill Raja.

On Wednesday, all the accused were brought to Shillong, and a Shillong court granted eight days’ police remand.

All the accused — Sonam, her alleged boyfriend Raj, Anand Kurmi, Akash Rajput, and Vishal Singh Chauhan — were arrested by the special investigation team (SIT) formed by East Khasi Hills police with the help of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh police.

Syiem said: “At this juncture, it is very clear there is a love angle. Raj is the mastermind, Sonam is a partner. These are his friends (the three contract killers).... Raj came up with a plan (to eliminate Raja) 11 days before the marriage.”

Raja and Sonam were married on May 11 in Indore. They reached Sohra on May 22 and went missing on May 23. Initially, a missing case was registered on May 24 after the newly wed couple disappeared from Sohra on May 23 after checking out of a homestay where they had put up the previous day.

The accused tried to eliminate Raja three times before succeeding in their fourth attempt, the police said.

“They wanted to get rid of Raja at various places. First, they wanted to eliminate him somewhere in Guwahati.... Then they wanted to eliminate him in Nongriat (where the couple spent the night on May 22), but they dropped the plan as they didn’t find a place to dump the body. Then they tried to do it between Mawlikhiat and Weisawdong when Raja went to answer nature’s call. Finally, they did it at Weisawdong,” the SP said.

Raja’s body was recovered from a deep gorge on June 2 in Weisawdong.

“Sonam was in love with someone and had to get married to someone else. She was in Indore when Raja’s body was recovered. Following Akash’s arrest, Raj told Sonam to resurface wherever she was,” Syiem said.