Indore, Jun 10: The family of Raj Kushwaha, who has been accused as the alleged mastermind in the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi, has come out in his defence, asserting that he is innocent and incapable of committing such a crime.

On Monday, his family members said Raj, who is the only earning member in the household, was being falsely implicated and had no relationship with Sonam Raghuvanshi, Raja's wife, beyond a professional one.

Speaking to reporters, Raj's mother stated, "My son is innocent. The police just took him. The police are lying, and there is no truth in those claims. My son could never do that. He has the responsibility for his sisters. He used to work very hard. I do not believe any of this."

The family consists of Raj's mother and his three sisters, as his father passed away during the Covid-19 pandemic.

His sister also stood by him, saying, "I know my brother. He would never do such a thing. I also know Vishal; he is like my brother. They are both innocent, and they cannot do anything like this. All this is a lie."

She also dismissed the allegations about Raj's alleged affair with Sonam, stating, "They (Raj and Sonam) were not in any kind of relationship. How can they be? They were just like any employee and employer would be. I just want to say that my brother is not related to this case."

The Meghalaya Police arrested Sonam Raghuvanshi from Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur district, where she surrendered at the Nandganj police station in the early hours of Monday.

Authorities have stated that Sonam orchestrated her husband's murder by hiring contract killers during their honeymoon in Meghalaya. Her surrender was reportedly prompted by consistent pressure from a coordinated multi-state investigation.

Along with Sonam and Raj Kushwaha, three others -- Vishal Singh Chauhan, Anand, and Akash -- are also accused of executing the murder plot.

Sources revealed that Raj Kushwaha, who is five years younger than Sonam, was in a relationship with her prior to her marriage to Raja. Investigators believe the two conspired to eliminate Raja Raghuvanshi.

Call detail records of Sonam and Raj allegedly revealed frequent communication, which became a significant lead in the investigation. Based on these findings, Raj was taken into custody in a joint operation involving police teams from Indore and Shillong.

Sonam is currently in the custody of Meghalaya Police and is being held under tight security at Phulwari Sharif police station in Patna.

According to sources, she will be flown from Patna Airport to Guwahati on Tuesday at 12.40 p.m., with the police convoy scheduled to reach the airport by 11 a.m. From Guwahati, she will be transported by road to Shillong.

The Meghalaya Police have secured a five-day transit remand for Sonam to enable further questioning and investigation.

Raja Raghuvanshi's body was found in a gorge near the Weisawdong Parking Lot in Meghalaya on June 2.

The couple had gone missing on May 23, prompting an initial missing persons case that later turned into a homicide probe after Raja's body was recovered.

Sonam remained untraceable until June 8, when she surrendered in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh.

(IANS)

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