Indore, June 11 (IANS) As the investigation into the chilling murder of Raja Raghuvanshi unfolds, the family of Raj Kushwaha — the alleged mastermind behind the killing — has come forward in his defence, claiming that he is being falsely implicated.

Raj, along with four other accused, including Sonam Raghuvanshi (Raja’s wife), Anand Kurmi, Akash Rajput, and Vishal Singh Chauhan, was presented in a Shillong court by the Meghalaya Police following interrogation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT).

Raj’s sister, speaking to IANS, maintained that he was at home the entire time the crime was committed in Meghalaya and that he had been wrongly framed in the murder case.

“False allegations are being made against my brother. He has done nothing wrong. I just want to say that he will be proven innocent. He should not be punished for something he hasn’t done. A proper investigation should be carried out, and my brother should be released because he is innocent,” she said.

She refuted claims of a romantic relationship between Raj and Sonam, stating that Raj considered her an elder sister and referred to her as “didi (sister).”

“We only got to know about this alleged relationship through the news recently when they mentioned chats. We had no idea about this. I do not think it’s true. Everyone is lying. He used to call Sonam ‘didi’. How can they be in a relationship? He is five years younger than her. Also, throughout this time, he was here at home; he never went anywhere else,” she added.

Meghalaya Police arrested Sonam Raghuvanshi after she surrendered at the Nandganj police station in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur district early on Monday.

According to authorities, Sonam allegedly orchestrated her husband’s murder during their honeymoon in Meghalaya by hiring contract killers.

Her surrender came after sustained pressure from a multi-state investigation coordinated by police teams from Meghalaya, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.

Investigators claimed that Call Detail Records (CDRs) between Sonam and Raj revealed frequent contact, leading them to suspect a conspiracy between the two to eliminate Raja Raghuvanshi.

Raj’s family, however, continues to insist on his innocence, demanding a fair probe and justice for what they assert is a case of false implication.

–IANS

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