Latest news with #RajKushwaha
News18
26-06-2025
- News18
Pistol, Ammo Purchased By Raj Kushwaha Found, Was Backup Option For Killing Raja Raghuvanshi
Last Updated: Shillong police found a packet with a country-made pistol, two magazines and ammunition in Indore, which were allegedly purchased by Raj Kushwaha to kill Raja Raghuvanshi. Raja Raghuvanshi Murder Case: Shillong police, who are investigating the murder of Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, have recovered a country-made pistol, two magazines and ammunition that were purchased by his wife's alleged lover Raj Kushwaha for a second murder attempt in case the first attempt failed. Raja's wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, is the prime suspect in her husband's murder while they were spending their honeymoon in Meghalaya, with police claiming she orchestrated the crime with her lover, Raj Kushwaha. She was traced to a dhaba on the Varanasi-Ghazipur main road and was taken into custody. Raja was allegedly killed by three hitmen hired by Raj Kushwaha in Meghalaya and his decomposing body was found later. However, a police unit found a country-made pistol with two magazines, ammunition and Rs 50,000 from the car of one of the accused, who had taken the laptop bag belonging to Raj. According to police, the bag was burnt and the laptop was not found. As per reports, police are investigating the role of Lokendra Tomar, an infrastructure company owner from Indore, and a property dealer named Silome James. Sonam had allegedly stayed at Tomar's Indore flat with Raj and the contract killers before being arrested in Uttar Pradesh. The bag containing the pistol and ammunition was suspected to have been removed in an attempt to destroy evidence. Indore police sources told the Times of India that after interrogation of two accused, Lokendra and Shilom, the latter confessed that he had taken a laptop bag from Raj, took the money and thrown it into a nullah in the Old Palasia area. Acting on the information, a team of Shillong police and crime branch officials reached the spot and searched the area for several minutes before a white packet containing the pistol was found. It was not clear how the accused knew where the bag had landed after he tossed it away. Meanwhile, the police recovered chats of Lokendra and Shilom about the items in the flat and their disposal, with TOI quoting sources as saying that Lokendra claimed he was not directly involved in the crime. Three accused – Shilom, Lokendra and Balvinder Ahirwar, were flown to Shillong on Wednesday and will be produced before the court on Thursday, after which they will be taken into remand. Meanwhile, the Meghalaya Police has said that Sonam Raghuvanshi and her lover Raj Kushwaha have admitted to their romantic relationship and to conspiring to kill Raja. The arrested accused are likely to be produced in court on Thursday. First Published: June 26, 2025, 14:10 IST
Hindustan Times
25-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Pistol, ammunition recovered from Indore stream in Raghuvanshi murder case
Shillong: A Meghalaya police team recovered a country-made pistol, two magazines, and two live .32 calibre rounds from a stream in Indore on Tuesday afternoon in connection with the murder of Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi. So far, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has arrested eight people in connection with the murder. This comes after two of the prime accused in the murder — his wife Sonam Raghuvanshi and her alleged lover Raj Kushwaha — confessed to their relationship and role in the crime. 'The recovery of the firearm and ammunition confirms our suspicion about the kind of planning that went into this murder. We are piecing together every bit of evidence as we build a watertight case,' East Khasi Hills superintendent of police Vivek Syiem said. So far, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has arrested eight people in connection with the murder. Sonam, Raj, and three others — Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan, and Anand Kurmi — were arrested earlier and are likely to be produced before the court again on Thursday. The three people arrested in connection with evidence tampering are flat owner Lokendra Singh Tomar, property dealer Silome James, and security guard Balla Ahirwar of the Heera Bagh Colony building in Indore, where Sonam had reportedly been hiding for 10 days after the murder. They are expected to be produced before the court of the Judicial Magistrate First Class tomorrow. Also Read: SIT arrests two for evidence tampering in Raghuvanshi murder case The Tuesday afternoon recovery was based on leads provided by James. Additionally, ₹ 50,000 in cash was found hidden inside James' Hyundai i10 car, which he had allegedly taken from the laptop bag belonging to Raj Kushwaha. Syiem said that the laptop bag had earlier been burnt, while the laptop was reportedly thrown by the roadside and remains missing. Also Read: Police reject narco test demand in Meghalaya honeymoon murder probe All eight accused have been booked under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including murder, destruction of evidence, criminal conspiracy, and unlawful possession of arms and ammunition. A decomposed body of Raghuvanshi, 29, was recovered from a gorge a week after the couple went missing from a homestay in Meghalaya. He had married Sonam on May 11 in Indore, and the couple arrived in Sohra (Cherrapunji), Meghalaya, on May 22 for their honeymoon. The next day, May 23, Raja was allegedly lured to the Wei Sawdong viewpoint by Sonam and murdered by the three hired men with machetes. Sonam reportedly fled the scene, only to return after the attack had ended. Raja's decomposed body was discovered in a gorge near the falls' parking lot on June 2.
Time of India
19-06-2025
- Time of India
‘My boy can't kill': Raja Raghuvanshi murder accused Raj Kushwaha's grandmother dies of heart attack; family says she was in shock
Ramlali, the grandmother of Raj Kushwaha, who is accused of Raja Raghuvanshi's murder, has died in Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh, due to a heart attack. Family members stated that Ramlali was in deep shock after Raj's arrest in Meghalaya. INDORE: The grandmother of accused Raj Kushwaha has died in Uttar Pradesh's Fatehpur district following a heart attack. According to family members, Ramlali had gone into deep shock ever since Raj was arrested for the murder of Indore's Raja Raghuvanshi in Meghalaya. Family sources say she had stopped eating and remained withdrawn for days. Late Tuesday night, she suffered a heart attack and died. Ram Lalli, 74, died at her residence in Rampur village of Gazipur, located in Uttar Pradesh's Fatehpur district. Her husband, Darbari Singh, told reporters that she had been deeply distressed since Raj's name emerged as the key conspirator in the case. "She was constantly defending her grandson, insisting he was innocent and being framed," Singh said, adding that the allegations weighed heavily on her. Just a week ago, Ram Lalli had spoken to the media in support of her grandson. "Raj never had an affair with anyone. Sonam got her husband killed and is dragging Raj into this," she had said. She had also alleged that powerful people were involved in the case and 'they can do anything.' Singh recalled Raj as a quiet, responsible young man who had been supporting his family ever since his father died during the Covid pandemic. The family had moved to Indore around 15 years ago amid financial hardship, with Raj joining them about a decade later along with his mother and two sisters, once their situation stabilised. Raj, a Class 12 pass-out, worked as an accountant at a furniture sheet manufacturing unit owned by Sonam Raghuvanshi's family in Indore's Govind Nagar Kharcha area. Police have so far refused to comment on the development, citing that the case is being handled by authorities in another state. Raja Raghuvanshi had married Sonam on May 11 and the couple left for their honeymoon in Meghalaya on May 20. Just three days later, Raja went missing. His mutilated body was found on June 2 in a gorge near a waterfall in Sohra, East Khasi Hills. Sonam surrendered to police in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur district on June 8. Raj Kushwaha and others accused were picked up from various parts of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. According to investigators, Sonam allegedly orchestrated her husband's murder, with Raj and three of his childhood friends helping to execute the plan. 'Cried for an hour after funeral': Raj Kushwaha's family claims he's innocent in Meghalaya murder case "No, not our boy..." — the words echo through a cramped 200sqft room in Indore's Shankar Nagar, where the family of 21-year-old Raj Kushwaha has shut themselves away in disbelief. Raj was arrested for allegedly conspiring with Sonam Raghuvanshi to murder her husband Raja during their honeymoon in Meghalaya. Since the arrest, the family has been in a state of shock. Raj's 15-year-old sister reportedly faints every time a police siren passes by. Neighbours have stopped speaking to them. The family is reeling from the accusation that Raj, who worked in billing for Sonam's family business, was not only her lover but also allegedly orchestrated Raja's murder with the help of three childhood friends. Police said Raj stayed close to both families in the aftermath of the incident, even attending Raja's funeral and supporting Sonam's father. "He cried for an hour after coming from the funeral," said his mother, 52-year-old Chunni Bai. "He said he'd have died if he had seen Raja's body." But things changed quickly. Hours after the cremation last Sunday, Raj changed clothes and left, telling his family he was going to co-accused Vishal's house. Then came silence — his phone was switched off. He was later picked up by police from Vishal's home.
Time of India
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Sonam Raghuvanshi seen crying inconsolably in viral vidai video, netizens question her tears as Raja's murder probe deepens
Police Trace Sonam to Indore Flat Flat Rented by Raj Kushwaha Live Events Sonam Missing After Husband's Death (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel In the ongoing investigation into the suspected murder of Raja Raghuvanshi during his honeymoon in Meghalaya , several videos have now surfaced. One of them, a Vidai video, shows Raja's bride, Sonam Raghuvanshi , crying inconsolably. The emotional clip has gone viral, prompting many on social media to ask, 'Was it all part of a drama?'The Shillong police , who are handling the case, have tracked Sonam's movements to a flat in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. A police team visited the flat near Dewas Naka on the Agra-Bombay Road on to sources quoted by TOI, Sonam is believed to have stayed at the location for over 10 days after Raja's death on 23 May 2025. She reportedly reached Indore between 25 and 27 May, travelling nearly 2,200 kilometres from found that the flat was rented by Raj Kushwaha , who is alleged to be Sonam's lover. Police suspect that Sonam stayed there until 7 June and may have destroyed evidence before leaving. During the search, officers recovered only a few clothes and of the five suspects currently in custody were brought along for this inspection. The search was carried out to verify interrogation statements and collect forensic reportedly went missing soon after Raja's sudden death, which occurred during their honeymoon. Her movements, close ties with Raj Kushwaha, and behaviour before and after the incident are now under close say the new video footage and the findings from the Indore flat are being thoroughly analysed. These could prove key to unravelling the truth behind Raja Raghuvanshi's from agencies
Hindustan Times
17-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Raja Raghuvanshi murder: Meghalaya Police reveals 5 chilling details including failed first attempt
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Meghalaya Police, which is investigating the murder of Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, has travelled to Indore to explore whether a financial angle was involved in the crime. As part of the probe, the Meghalaya Police also brought all the accused — including Raja Raghuvanshi's wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi — to Sohra, about 65 km from Shillong, where they recreated the crime scene under tight security, Hindustan Times earlier reported. Raja Raghuvanshi was hacked to death in a parking lot near Weisawdong Falls and his body was dumped in a nearby gorge in Sohra area in East Khasi Hills district on May 23. Raja and his wife, Sonam, were on their honeymoon when he was killed allegedly by three hitmen – Vishal, Anand and Akash - sent by her boyfriend Raj Kushwaha, who is also one of the arrested people. Although Raj Kushwaha is the mastermind of the murder, he did not come to Meghalaya. There were chilling details of the murder that emerged after the recreation of the crime scene, in which one policeman acted as Raja Raghuvanshi.
