‘Sonam Raj killed Raja for lust’:Vipin Raghuvanshi calls ‘physical desire’ as sole motive in brother’s murder; to record statement in Shillong court

Vipin Raghuvanshi, elder brother of Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, has been summoned to the Shillong Court to give a statement in his brother’s murder case. He left Indore by flight on Monday morning and will reach Shillong by night. His statements are scheduled for November 11. The court notice was sent to him via WhatsApp through the Shillong Station House Officer. Vipin speaks before leaving Before leaving, Vipin told Dainik Bhaskar, “I was the one who filed the police complaint when Raja and Sonam went missing. I will know the subject of the statement once I reach Shillong. We have also received some other information regarding the case, which will be confirmed there.” Vipin said the family has not yet received the charge sheet, so the motive behind Raja’s murder remains unclear. He added, “As far as I can tell, Raj and Sonam killed Raja out of lust. People sometimes make sacrifices for love, but here they killed him for lust.” Background of the case Raja Raghuvanshi, an Indore-based transport businessman, married Sonam Raghuvanshi on May 11 this year. The couple went to Shillong, Meghalaya, for their honeymoon on May 21. Raja went missing on May 23 during the trip. Ten days later, police recovered his mutilated body from a 30-foot-deep gorge. His body had multiple wounds inflicted by a sharp weapon. Accused in judicial custody Sonam Raghuvanshi, her lover Raj Kushwaha, and three others – Akash, Anand, and Vishal – are in judicial custody. Sonam had initially gone missing after the murder but later surrendered in Uttar Pradesh. She reportedly lured Raja to a remote location under the pretext of sightseeing. The other accused followed and stabbed him to death with two knives, one of which was recovered later from the forest. Family observances The Raghuvanshi family recently observed Raja’s birthday on September 21. They sang a birthday song in front of his photo, and his mother performed a ritual to ward off evil. The family also distributed blankets to the needy. However, the family did not celebrate Diwali this year, mourning Raja’s tragic death. Charge sheet submitted Shillong Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) has submitted a 790-page charge sheet in court. Five accused, including Sonam and Raj, have been named in the case. The investigation continues to uncover more details about the murder.