Meghalaya honeymoon horror: Police to reconstruct crime scene with deceased's arrested wife, aides
Shillong(PTI): A special investigation team of the Meghalaya Police brought here around midnight arrested Sonam Raghuvanshi, one of the five accused in the murder of her Indore-based businessman husband Raja Raghuvanshi, and would reconstruct the crime scene in Sohra, a senior officer said on Wednesday.
The four others, who were also arrested from Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh in connection with the murder, were also taken to Shillong during the day and would be produced before a local court, he said.
Sonam was taken to a hospital here for a medical examination and will be produced before a court during the day as the SIT will seek her police custody to complete the investigation, he said.
"The SIT that brought Sonam arrived here shortly before midnight. She was taken to a hospital here around 2 am to ascertain whether she was pregnant or not. She had undergone three tests. Sonam will be produced before a court here," a senior police officer told PTI.
East Khasi Hills district SP Vivek Syiem confirmed that the results of the tests were negative.
"The four other accused persons- Raj Kushwaha, Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan and Anand Kuli - have also been brought here on transit remand on Wednesday," the officer said.
The SIT will seek "police custody of all the arrested persons, and will reconstruct the crime scene in Sohra", he said.
The Meghalaya Police, which codenamed the investigation as 'Operation Honeymoon', collected evidence from the residences and other places frequented by the accused in Indore and Ghazipur, Syiem said.
Sonam and her aides were arrested from Indore in Madhya Pradesh and Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh for their alleged role in conspiring and killing Raja Raghuvanshi last month.
The SIT has secured a six-day remand for the accused persons from Indore and that of three days for one arrested from Ghazipur, he added.
Raghuvanshi and his wife went missing while vacationing in Meghalaya's Sohra area on May 23. His body was found in a gorge on June 2.
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UDF leaders see local body poll trends as pointer to 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.
According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.
The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.
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Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.
"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.
He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.
Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.
According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.
"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.
He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.
AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.
"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.
Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.
"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.
Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.
"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.
He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.
Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.
"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.
On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.
"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.
He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.
Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.
"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.
CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.
"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.
Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.
"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.
Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.
"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.
