A statement from a tourist guide - possibly the last person to see Raja Raghuvanshi alive - alerted police to the possibility that three other men were involved in a grisly murder case filled with plot twists worthy of a Bollywood 'masala' movie, including hitmen, a love affair, and a bloody machete.
At 10 am on May 23 Raja and his wife Sonam, from Indore in Madhya Pradesh and on the third day of their honeymoon, were spotted in Meghalaya's Mawlakhiat. That was the last time Raja was seen alive.
They were seen by Albert Pde, a local who had helped guide them a day earlier through a three-hour trek to Nongriat to visit the 'living roots' bridge. He told local police he saw Raja and Sonam with three other men, none of whom were locals, he believed, because all three conversed in Hindi.
Sources said this helped the cops expand search parameters.
Who these men are is unclear at this time, but three male suspects - Vicky, Akash, and Anand - have been arrested in connection with Raja's murder. Police believe these were the hitmen.
The police believe the three were hired by Sonam to murder Raja Raghuvanshi.
Sonam apparently killed her husband (of less than a week) to continue a pre-existing relationship with her partner - Raj Kushwaha - who has also been arrested.
READ | Wife Sonam Prime Suspect, Boyfriend Raj Mastermind: Cops On Raja's Murder
Kushwaha is the 'mastermind' behind Raja's death, police sources told NDTV.
What Happened To Raja Raghuvanshi?
On May 21 Raja and Sonam Raghuvanshi checked into a homestay in Shillong.
On May 22 they rented the two-wheeler and set out for Sohrarim. They reached Mawlakhiat that evening and hired a guide who guided them to the Shipara Homestay in Nongriat, their night halt.
On May 23, after refusing Pde's services, they were seen with the three Hindi-speaking men.
Twenty-four hours later Raja and Sonam were reported 'missing'. The blue two-wheeler they rented was found abandoned in the Sohrarim area, which is seven kilometres from the Mawlakhiat parking lot.
Raja's body was found a week later. There was evidence to suggest he was hacked to death. A blood-stained machete was found 24 hours later, followed by his also blood-stained raincoat.
Sonam was missing till June 8 when she surfaced in Uttar Pradesh, by which time the murder, dubbed 'the honeymoon murder case' - had made feverish national headlines.
VIDEO | Moment Sonam Raghuvanshi, Accused Of Killing Husband, Was Found
There are contradictions, though, with Meghalaya Police claiming she surrendered and their UP counterparts stating they found her, distraught and running a fever, at a roadside eatery.
What we do know, for sure, is that on Monday, i.e., 24 hours after she was taken into custody, Sonam was declared the prime suspect in the murder of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi.
What Raja Raghuvanshi's Mother Said
Sonam made all the arrangments for the Meghalaya honeymoon but did not book a return ticket, Raja's mother told NDTV Monday, claiming also that she had 'forced' her son to wear jewelry worth Rs 10 lakh.
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