GUWAHATI: A new name has emerged in the investigation into the killing of 29-year-old Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi during his honeymoon in Meghalaya, with the police identifying Sanjay Verma as a person of interest.
According to reports, Verma had exchanged 119 calls with Raja’s wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, between March 1 and March 25, as per call data records accessed by investigators. His mobile number is currently switched off.
Raja was killed on May 23, during a trek near Wei Sawdong Falls in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills. His body was recovered on June 2, from a gorge. The couple had arrived in Shillong on May 21, two days after renting a scooty to travel to Sohra. Raja was last seen alive on May 22, while trekking with Sonam near Nongriat village. His body was found 10 days later, with the scooty abandoned at Sohrarim.
According to the police, Raja was attacked with a machete, locally called a “dao,” by Vishal Singh Chauhan, one of the three men allegedly hired to execute the murder. Sonam was reportedly present at the time and fled the scene after her husband began to bleed and scream. She returned only after he had died from multiple injuries.
The hired attackers—Vishal Singh Chauhan, Akash Rajput, and Anand Kurmi—were allegedly recruited by Raj Kushwaha, a 20-year-old accountant employed at Sonam’s family-run plywood business in Indore. Police suspect that Sonam not only planned the killing with Raj but also gave the signal to initiate the attack and helped in disposing of the body.
Meghalaya Police are continuing their probe, as they reconstructed the crime scene on June 17 with the five accused. The following day, the state’s SIT team visited Sonam’s house in Indore and questioned her family members. They also inspected a flat in Dewas Naka, where Sonam allegedly stayed after the incident, though nothing significant was recovered. The police also met Raja’s family but did not bring any of the accused to Indore.