New twist in Meghalaya honeymoon murder case; Jitendra Raghuvanshi's name comes to the fore? Who is he?
PTC Web Desk: In a significant development in the Meghalaya honeymoon murder case, investigators have found the involvement of one more person, Jitendra Raghuvanshi, whose name has now become central to the financial trail linked to the alleged contract killing of Raja Raghuvanshi from Indore in MP.
The case, which has seen a flurry of revelations over recent days, took a new turn after the Meghalaya Police identified that payments to the hired killers were allegedly made using a UPI account registered in Jitendra Raghuvanshi’s name. Jitendra is reportedly a cousin of the prime accused, Sonam Raghuvanshi, the deceased's wife.
According to available information, the initial payment to the hitmen was made on May 23 via this account. This link has now raised speculation about possible hawala involvement.
However, in a media statement on Wednesday, Sonam’s brother, Govind, dismissed all allegations of illegal money transfers. He clarified that Jitendra is not only a maternal cousin but also a junior staff member in their family business, handling logistics tasks such as loading and unloading at their warehouse.
“We have no connection to hawala dealings. These are baseless allegations. The account in Jitendra’s name is used for routine business transactions. The funds belong to us and are solely used for daily operational expenses,” Govind told reporters, as quoted by The New Indian Express. So far, the Meghalaya Police have arrested five persons in connection with the murder: Sonam Raghuvanshi, the victim’s wife, Raj Kushwaha, Sonam’s alleged lover, Vishal Chauhan, Akash Rajput, and Anand Kurmi.
All five have been transported to Meghalaya and were remanded to eight-day police custody on Wednesday for further interrogation.
Govind, who visited Raja Raghuvanshi’s grieving family in Indore earlier this week, expressed deep regret and extended an apology on behalf of his family. “I confronted Sonam in Ghazipur, even if only for two minutes. Her demeanor left no doubt in my mind — she is responsible for Raja’s murder,” he stated.
Govind further added that his family has severed all ties with Sonam following the shocking developments. “We are devastated and stand with Raja’s family in their pursuit of justice. We will support them in every possible way,” he said.
- With inputs from agencies
