Indore, June 9 (IANS) Three individuals arrested in connection with the mysterious murder of Raja Raghuvanshi have been identified as Akash, Raja Kushwaha, and Vishal Chauhan, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), Indore, Rajesh Dandotia said on Monday.

According to Dandotia, the arrests were made following a request from Meghalaya Police. “Two persons — Akash and Raja Kushwaha — were arrested in a joint operation conducted late Sunday night in Indore. The third accused, Vishal Chauhan, was apprehended from Lalitpur district in Uttar Pradesh,” he said.

Dandotia also confirmed that Raja Raghuvanshi’s wife, Sonam, who had gone missing after his death, was found in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh. “She is currently in the safe custody of Uttar Pradesh Police. Necessary legal protocols are being followed for her transit and recording of her formal statement,” he added.

Earlier, Meghalaya Police issued a statement confirming the arrests and the breakthrough in the case. “Following sustained investigation and multi-agency coordination, three individuals have been apprehended — two from Indore and one from Lalitpur. These arrests mark a decisive development in unraveling the circumstances surrounding Raja Raghuvanshi’s tragic death and the subsequent disappearance of his wife Sonam,” the statement read.

It also stated that Sonam voluntarily surrendered at the Nandganj police station in Ghazipur.

Meanwhile, Raja Raghuvanshi’s brother Vipul has raised questions about the investigation. “Meghalaya Police claim to have cracked the case, but they haven’t shared the post-mortem report with us. Until Sonam confesses, we can’t accept their theory,” he said.

Both families have strongly denied Sonam’s involvement in Raja’s murder.

Sonam’s father, Devi Singh, told reporters that he learned about her whereabouts early Monday. “I was informed that Sonam was found at a hotel in Ghazipur around 5 a.m. She first contacted her brother, Govind, in Meghalaya via WhatsApp video call. She had reached the hotel around 1 a.m. and called him at 2 a.m.,” he said.

When asked how Sonam reached Ghazipur, he responded, “I don’t know how she got there, but I’m certain my daughter is innocent. She could never kill her husband.”

He also alleged negligence on the part of the Meghalaya government. “They failed to protect my daughter and son-in-law, who were on their honeymoon. Now, to cover up their failures, they’re trying to frame her. The Meghalaya government has been lying from the beginning,” Singh said.

–IANS

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