The East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police has revealed that the five accused in the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi made multiple attempts on his life before ultimately killing him in Sohra. According to the SP, detailed interrogation of three of the accused-Vishal Singh Chauhan, Anand Kurmi, and Akash Rajput-revealed that they were not contract killers. Instead, they were friends and a relative of Raj Kushwaha, and claimed they only helped Raj and Sonam Raghuvanshi in carrying out the murder, not for money but out of association.
The police investigation uncovered that the conspiracy to eliminate Raja had been brewing since February this year. One early plan was to fake Sonam’s disappearance by staging her drowning in a river. Another involved burning a woman and a scooty to fake Sonam’s death. After their wedding, Raja and Sonam had visited the Kamakhya Temple in Assam. The trio of accomplices arrived in Shillong on May 19 with plans to kill Raja somewhere in Guwahati. However, that plan failed. Sonam then convinced Raja to travel to Shillong and later to Sohra.
According to SP Vivek Syiem, Sonam and Raja met the three accused in Nongriat. On the way to Weisawdong Falls, around 2:18 PM at the parking lot, the attackers struck-one after another in front of Sonam-and threw Raja’s body into the gorge. Police further revealed that the group had initially attempted to kill Raja on the night of May 22 in Nongriat but couldn’t find a suitable place to dispose of the body. A second failed attempt occurred on the trail between Mawlakhiat and Weisawdong. It was only during the final leg of the trip to Weisawdong that they managed to execute their plan.