Sonam Raghuvanshi wore burqa during 1,000km drive to UP, didn’t even stop for food: Cabbie tells cops | Indore News

INDORE/SHILLONG: Sonam Raghuvanshi, who had slipped into Indore after the murder of her husband Raja during their honeymoon in Meghalaya last month, disguised herself in a burqa during her clandestine drive to Uttar Pradesh, say police after questioning one of the drivers who took her across the border.Sonam is in custody of Shillong police, along with co-accused Raj Kushwaha, her alleged lover as their police remand was extended by two days on Thursday. The three other accused – Raj’s childhood friends – were remanded in jail for two weeks.In Indore, where a Shillong police team is pressing on with the probe, investigators traced the two drivers – Mohit and Piyush — who took Sonam to UP. Mohit, who works with a local travel agency, appeared before the crime branch to be interviewed.He said he and Piyush were hired by Raj and began the journey in an Ertiga on June 8. It had been six days since her husband Raja’s decomposed body was found in a gorge in Sohra, Meghalaya, and police and local volunteers were braving treacherous terrain and foul weather to look for her, fearing she too was a victim.According to police, Mohit said that Sonam was dressed in a burqa and refused to stop the vehicle at any roadside eatery during the 1000km journey to Varanasi. They arrived in the holy town the same night.Sonam would surface in Ghazipur, around 90km from Varanasi, in the wee hours of June 9 and place a call to her brother from a dhaba owner’s phone. The nation would woke up to a shocker – the bride feared to have fallen victim on her honeymoon had been arrested for her husband’s murder.Senior crime branch officials confirmed that six people have been questioned so far in Indore.On Thursday morning, two female employees who had worked with Sonam at her brother Govind Raghuvanshi’s office were also summoned. Govind accompanied them to the police station, where they were questioned for several hours before the driver was called in.Govind acknowledged the widening scope of the probe, and said: “Police are reaching out to all relevant staff members and associates. They are independently contacting people they wish to question.”Raja’s brother Vipin Raghuvanshi called for strict action. “A strong example must be set. Raja’s murder was a cold-blooded one,” he said. Mohit spoke with mediapersons and said he had told police how, when and where he dropped Sonam.All five accused in the case — Sonam, Raj Kushwaha, Vishal Chauhan, Anand Kurmi and Akash Rajput — were produced before a Shillong court after a medical checkup at Shillong Civil Hospital on Thursday.“The court granted two more days of police custody for Sonam and Raj, while Vicky, Akash and Anand have been sent to judicial custody for 14 days,” said lawyer T Chanda who, along with additional public prosecutor JK Marak, appeared in court for the prosecution. Lawyers S Rana and P Pradhan represented the accused in court as legal aid.