Indore/Shillong — As the investigation into the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi during his honeymoon in Meghalaya deepens, a new name has surfaced: Jitendra Raghuvanshi. According to police, Sonam Raghuvanshi, Raja’s wife and the prime accused, used Jitendra’s account to pay the contract killers.
Jitendra, identified as Sonam’s maternal cousin, is also reportedly a junior employee at the family’s business, where he handled godown operations.
💸 Jitendra’s Account Used for Payment to Hitmen
Police have revealed that on May 23, Sonam allegedly transferred money to the hitmen through a UPI account registered in Jitendra’s name. This revelation led investigators to suspect potential hawala links involving the family business.
🗣️ Brother Govind Clarifies Family’s Role
Speaking to the media, Sonam’s brother Govind Raghuvanshi dismissed hawala allegations and clarified the nature of the financial transactions:
“We don’t have to do anything with hawala. False stories are being cooked up,”
— Govind told The New Indian Express.
“Jitendra is my maternal cousin and a junior employee in our family business. The account in his name actually has our money, which is used for day-to-day business expenses,” he added.
Govind also confirmed that Sonam’s UPI account was set up in Jitendra’s name, though no explanation was offered for why it wasn’t in her own name.
🕊️ Support for Raja’s Family
In a heartfelt gesture, Govind visited Raja Raghuvanshi’s family in Indore to express condolences and apologize for his sister’s alleged involvement in the murder.
“I met Sonam in Ghazipur for just two minutes and questioned her intensely. Her reactions were enough to make me realise she had committed the crime,”
— Govind stated.
He also said that the family has cut all ties with Sonam and is committed to supporting Raja’s family in their legal battle.
🔍 Ongoing Investigation
So far, five people have been arrested in the case, including Sonam, her alleged lover Raj Kushwaha, and three alleged contract killers: Vishal Chauhan, Akash Rajput, and Anand Kurmi. All have been remanded to eight days of police custody by the Meghalaya Police.
The investigation continues, with authorities probing financial transactions and connections within the family business for any further leads.