Shillong: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Meghalaya Police on Tuesday recreated the crime scene in Sohra (Cherrapunji) as part of the ongoing investigation into the murder of Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi.
The SIT, along with the forensic team and five accused, including Sonam Raghuvanshi, reached Wei Sawdong Falls in Sohra to initiate a detailed reconstruction of the crime scene in connection with the murder of Sonam’s husband, Raja Raghuvanshi.
The operation marks a crucial step in the high-profile investigation.
Accompanied by personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Meghalaya Police, the forensic experts began mapping the scene to retrace the sequence of events surrounding the alleged crime.
A senior police official claimed that the exercise will provide vital insights and help verify confessions and witness accounts recorded during interrogations.
The site of the reconstruction is a parking lot in Sohra, where the murder is believed to have occurred.
The East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police, Vivek Syiem, stated that a sharp-edged weapon, reportedly purchased in Guwahati by the accused, has been recovered and is believed to be the murder weapon.
“We have recovered a sharp weapon which had been purchased by the accused from Guwahati to commit the murder,” he confirmed.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) leading the probe is expected to file the charge sheet within the stipulated legal timeframe. Officials have remained guarded about the evidence under review, but indicated that forensic mapping and on-site walkthroughs will be critical in building a strong case.
The brutal killing of Raja Raghuvanshi has drawn national attention, with growing calls for justice. The ongoing reconstruction is seen as a pivotal moment in bringing clarity to the chilling crime.
Meanwhile, the Meghalaya Police, on Monday, conducted a mental examination of Sonam Raghuvanshi, the prime accused in the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case, officials said.
A police official said that Sonam was taken to the Meghalaya Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (MIMHANS) for “mental assessment” as part of psychiatric routine examination.
As per the advice of the Medical Officer of Ganesh Das hospital in Shillong, Sonam’s “mental assessment” was done at the MIMHANS hospital, and found that her mental health is “sound and good”, the official added.
The decomposed body of Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi (28) was found in a gorge below the Wei Sawdong parking lot at Sohra-Cherrapunji areas in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills district on June 2, eight days after the couple went ‘missing’ during their honeymoon tour from the popular tourist destination in the northeastern state.
After the recovery of Raja’s body, Meghalaya Police formed the SIT and changed its course of investigation, and arrested all five accused in the murder case. All five accused, including Sonam, were presented at the District and Session Court in Shillong on June 11. The court sent all five accused to eight days’ police custody.
The three SIT teams of Meghalaya Police separately questioned the five accused.
(IANS)
