Indore– The family of Raj Kushwaha, accused of masterminding the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi during his honeymoon in Meghalaya, has publicly defended him, insisting he is innocent and being falsely implicated.
On Monday, Kushwaha’s mother and sister addressed the media, firmly denying any involvement by Raj in the crime and refuting claims of a romantic relationship between him and Sonam Raghuvanshi, the victim’s wife and the alleged architect of the murder plot.
“My son is innocent. The police just took him without any reason,” said Raj’s mother. “They are lying. He is not capable of doing such a thing. He works very hard and takes care of his three sisters after we lost my husband during the Covid pandemic.”
Raj’s sister also stood by him, dismissing the police narrative. “I know my brother, and I know Vishal too. Both of them are innocent. The allegations are false. There was no affair between Raj and Sonam. They only had a professional relationship. My brother has nothing to do with this case.”
The murder case has made national headlines after Sonam Raghuvanshi surrendered at a police station in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, in the early hours of Monday. She is accused of plotting her husband’s murder during their honeymoon by hiring contract killers.
Along with Sonam and Raj Kushwaha, three others—Vishal Singh Chauhan, Anand, and Akash—have also been named as suspects in what authorities describe as a premeditated murder.
Investigators claim Raj, who is five years younger than Sonam, was in a relationship with her before her marriage to Raja. Call detail records allegedly show frequent communication between Raj and Sonam, which police believe supports their theory of a conspiracy. Raj was taken into custody in a joint operation involving police teams from Indore and Shillong.
Sonam is currently in the custody of the Meghalaya Police and being held under tight security at Phulwari Sharif police station in Patna. She is scheduled to be flown from Patna to Guwahati on Tuesday, after which she will be transported by road to Shillong. Authorities have secured a five-day transit remand for further interrogation.
The case began on May 23, when the couple was reported missing during their honeymoon in Meghalaya. On June 2, Raja Raghuvanshi’s body was discovered in a gorge near the Weisawdong Parking Lot. What began as a missing persons report soon evolved into a homicide investigation.
Sonam remained untraceable until her surrender on June 8. The multi-state investigation, which includes teams from Meghalaya, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh, is ongoing as authorities work to uncover the full extent of the alleged plot. (Source: IANS)
