Shillong, Jun 13: Meghalaya Police have revealed a disturbing detail in the investigation of Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi’s murder, stating that the accused initially plotted to kill another woman and burn the body to fake the death of Raja’s wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi.

According to East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem, the plan was masterminded by Raj Kushwaha, allegedly Sonam’s boyfriend, with Sonam as a co-conspirator. The plan was devised in Indore ahead of Sonam and Raja’s wedding on May 11.

The couple had travelled to Sohra in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills district after their wedding and were reported missing on May 23. Raja’s body was discovered on June 2 in a gorge near Weisawdong Falls. Sonam later surfaced in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, and surrendered on June 9.

Police have arrested five persons — Sonam, Raj, and three others identified as Vishal, Akash, and Anand. While initially suspected to be contract killers, police clarified that the three were friends of Raj, one of them his cousin. The murder was carried out as a favour, with Raj providing ₹50,000 for their expenses.

The group had considered multiple plans to fake Sonam’s disappearance, including using the body of another woman to fake her death or staging a drowning. These ideas were ultimately abandoned.

On May 23, Raja was attacked with a machete near Weisawdong Falls and his body was thrown into a gorge. Sonam was present at the scene and later handed her bloodstained raincoat to Akash. Police later recovered the raincoat along with the scooter rented by the couple.

After the crime, Sonam fled Meghalaya wearing a burqa provided by Raj and travelled through Guwahati, Siliguri, Patna, Arah, and Lucknow before reaching Indore.

A local tour guide’s testimony about seeing the couple with three men proved helpful in the investigation. As arrests began, Raj instructed Sonam to claim she had escaped from an abduction. She followed this plan before surrendering to police.

All five accused have been remanded to eight days of police custody. The investigation is ongoing, and police plan to file a charge sheet within the 90-day statutory period.