Kolkata, 14 June (H.S.) –The sensational Raja Raghuwanshi murder case in Meghalaya has now widened its scope to West Bengal, with investigators uncovering a significant Siliguri connection. According to police sources, the prime accused, Sonam Raghuwanshi – the victim's wife – fled to Siliguri after the murder in an attempt to evade arrest, disguised in a burqa and with a fabricated story to mislead authorities.

A senior police official confirmed that Sonam arrived in Siliguri from Indore on June 8, planning to take refuge there. However, her plan changed drastically after one of her accomplices was arrested and the victim Raja Raghuwanshi made a crucial phone call before his death. Sonam then diverted her route toward Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh.

Investigators believe that Sonam wore a burqa, sent to her in advance by her alleged lover Raja Kushwaha through co-accused Vishal Chauhan, to conceal her identity after allegedly killing her husband in Sohra, Shillong, on May 23. She gave her raincoat to another accused, Akash, and left the crime scene on his scooter.

She first reached Siliguri’s Tenzing Norgay Bus Terminus with the intention of staying there. However, after hearing of her associate’s arrest, she immediately purchased a bus ticket to Patna. From Patna, she travelled to Arrah and then boarded a train to Lucknow before returning to Indore. Sonam remained hidden in a rented flat in Indore from May 25 to June 7.

Sources further revealed that Sonam and Raja Kushwaha had planned a deceptive surrender in Siliguri. She was supposed to appear distressed at a tea stall, claiming she was abducted from Indore and drugged in Meghalaya, and that her husband was murdered before she was dumped in Siliguri.

However, their plan fell apart when Akash Rajput – one of the accused – was arrested from Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh on the morning of June 8. The couple then decided to shift Sonam to Uttar Pradesh, where Kushwaha had contacts who could shelter her.

In Ghazipur, Sonam attempted to stage a false narrative at a roadside eatery, pretending to be a kidnapped woman. But by then, investigators had already gathered enough evidence, leading to her arrest for the murder of her husband.

The case now spans multiple states, and the scope of the investigation has expanded. The Bengal police have actively joined the probe, coordinating with Meghalaya police to explore the Siliguri link further. Investigations are ongoing, with more startling revelations expected.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh