3 days Ago
Massive Search Launched After Couple Goes Missing
Sonam and Raja, who are from Indore in Madhya Pradesh, recently got married on 11 May amidst the presence and blessings of their families. They went on honeymoon to Meghalaya because of its idyllic valleys. The couple set out on the trip on 20 May, and four days later they disappeared.
The search was large: Police, rescue teams and volunteers scoured rough terrain and weather conditions for people the police later described looking for. A week into the operation, Raja was found lying dead in a gorge. His throat had been cut, and his wallet, a gold ring and a chain were gone. But Sonam could not be traced, following which their families alleged police apathy and fought to press for a CBI probe.
Surrender of Sonam and Arrest of Four Others
Sonam turned herself in at a police station in the Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh on Monday. Three more were arrested in overnight raids, the Director General of Police of Meghalaya said, two from Indore and one from Uttar Pradesh. The police are continuing investigations and questioning the arrested men, but they have not yet revealed the motive.
Sonam's father, Devi Singh, insists his daughter is innocent and that she had fled from the clutches of the abductors and called her brother from a roadside eatery. He thinks that Indian police in Meghalaya are concocting stories and has demanded that the Home Minister order a federal investigation.
At first, Raja's brother Vipin Raghuvanshi said he would not be able to believe Sonam had a part in this unless she confessed. But later he admitted that one of those apprehended was associated with Sonam. He has now realized that Meghalaya officials worked with all honesty and if Sonam is guilty then she should be punished. The Chief Minister of Meghalaya said the arrest was a breakthrough and defended the state's handling of the case, adding that the truth has come out now.
