The four co-accused – Raj Kushwaha (alleged to be Sonam’s lover and the mastermind), Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan and Anand Kurmi – were brought from Indore and Lalitpur.

Sonam Raghuwanshi, the prime accused in the brutal murder of her husband Raja Raghuvanshi in Meghalaya’s Sohra, was brought to Shillong late on Tuesday night and will be produced before a local court on Wednesday. The four other accused in the case have also been transported separately to the city, where police will seek custody to further the investigation, according to media reports.

Sonam, who surrendered at Nandganj Police Station in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur, was taken to Patna by road before being flown to Kolkata and then Guwahati. From there, she was driven to Shillong under heavy police escort. The Meghalaya Police team also conducted her medical examination at Ganesh Das Hospital before lodging her at Sadar police station overnight, NDTV reported.

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The four co-accused – Raj Kushwaha (alleged to be Sonam’s lover and the mastermind), Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan and Anand Kurmi – were brought from Indore and Lalitpur. At Indore airport, a bystander slapped one of the masked accused in an apparent outburst of public anger over the crime, as per NDTV.

East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem confirmed that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has made significant progress, gathering substantial evidence within just seven days. “We aim to submit the chargesheet swiftly,” he said, adding that police will seek custody to corroborate findings and reconstruct the crime scene at Wei Sawdong Falls near Sohra, HT reported.

Investigators are probing whether Sonam had prior knowledge of the remote waterfall, where her husband was killed. While she claims she had never visited Shillong before, police are verifying reports suggesting otherwise.

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As per HT, the accused allegedly discarded their mobile phones and SIM cards after the murder, but police have uncovered communication links between Sonam, Kushwaha and the three alleged contract killers. Authorities are also examining financial transactions to determine how much the killers were paid.

CCTV footage from homestays and tourist spots has been crucial in piecing together the case. SP Syiem urged businesses in high-traffic areas to install cameras, emphasising that even minor footage can be pivotal in investigations.