“My daughter is innocent… Meghalaya Police is making up stories”: Father of Sonam Raghuvanshi

Indore (Madhya Pradesh) [India], June 9 (ANI): In a major update in the Indore couple case, the father of Sonam Raghuvanshi, Devi Singh has claimed that his daughter is innocent and accused the Meghalaya police and government of “formulating” stories and “lying” from the beginning.  

Speaking to reporters, Singh made several claims. He stated that his daughter, Sonam, came to a dhaba in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur and then called her brother, following which the police officials went to the dhaba and took her to the hospital. 

"My daughter is innocent. I have trust in my daughter. She cannot do this (kill her husband)... They got married with the consent of both families. The state (Meghalaya) Government has been lying from the beginning. My daughter came to a dhaba in Ghazipur last night and she called her brother... Police went to the dhaba, and she was taken from there. I have not been able to speak to my daughter. Why will my daughter do such a thing (kill her husband)?” he said. 

Accusing the Meghalaya police of lying in the matter, Singh reiterated a demand for a CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) probe in the matter.  

He said, “The Meghalaya Police is lying. My daughter reached Ghazipur on her own. She was not arrested in Meghalaya. We were thinking of meeting Madhya Pradesh CM and then Union HM Amit Shah to request a CBI inquiry. Meghalaya Police is making up stories. Let the CBI inquiry begin, all officers at the police station (in Meghalaya) will be behind bars."  

Devi Singh further levelled major allegations on Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and accused him of “lying” saying that a CBI inquiry should be done on him as well. He claimed that if a CBI inquiry is done, officials of the Police Station in Meghalaya will be behind bars.

Singh stated "...Meghalaya CM is lying regarding this case. A CBI inquiry should be done on him as well. I am sure that the CM is also lying. Union Home Minister Amit Shah should send the CBI there as soon as possible..."Singh 

He also said, "Sonam called his brother, Govind, who informed me that Sonam has been found at a dhaba in Ghazipur. My appeal to the government is to get a CBI inquiry done. Meghalaya Police is lying. They did not do any inquiry. I am 100% sure that Meghalaya Police is involved in the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi. I have not spoken to the family of Raja Raghuvanshi. Sonam and Raja did not know each other before marriage. It was an arranged marriage. I have not been able to speak to my daughter. Only my son, Govind, spoke to Sonam around 2 AM. Sonam reached the dhaba in Ghazipur on her own. Meghalaya Police is trying to trap Sonam in this case. If a CBI inquiry is done, officials of the Police Station in Meghalaya will be behind bars."

Earlier today, a senior police official of Uttar Pradesh Police said that Sonam Raghuvanshi, the wife of late Raja Raghuvanshi, was found near a dhaba on the Varanasi-Ghazipur main road. 

Raja Raghuvanshi and his wife, Sonam, both residents of Madhya Pradesh's Indore, had gone missing during their honeymoon in the northeastern state of Meghalaya. Raja Raghuvanshi's body was later recovered in Meghalaya on June 2.  

After Sonam was found in Uttar Pradesh, the police officials sent her to Sadar Hospital for initial treatment. Now she is kept in the Sakhi One Stop Centre, the official said. Sakhi One Stop Centre is a shelter for women who are victims of violence.

Meanwhile, three assailants from Madhya Pradesh have also been caught in connection with the killing of Raja Raghuvanshi, a tourist who went missing with his wife in Meghalaya last month.

This announcement was made by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma. He further said that the police's operation is still underway to catch one more assailant. 

In a social media post on X, Chief Minister Sangma wrote, "Within 7 days, a breakthrough has been achieved by the #meghalayapolice in the Raja murder case ... 3 assailants who are from Madhya Pradesh have been arrested, a female has also surrendered and operation still on to catch 1 more assailant... "

Meghalaya DGP told ANI that 3 men were arrested, while the woman who had surrendered was identified as Sonam, the wife of late Raja Raghuvanshi. 

On Friday, the family of Raja Raghuvanshi, a newlywed from Madhya Pradesh's Indore whose body was found in a gorge near Cherrapunji in Meghalaya, wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting a CBI inquiry into the matter. (ANI)