- The weapon used to kill businessman Raja Raghuvanshi has been recovered by police.
- Raja Raghuvanshi was attacked multiple times while attempting to defend himself.
- Investigators confirmed the machete was purchased near Guwahati's railway station.
The weapon used to murder Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, while he was on his honeymoon in Meghalaya, has been recovered and a police released a photo of it.
Of the five people accused of conspiring to murder him and carrying out the act, Vishal Chauhan allegedly attacked Raja with the machete first.
Sources told NDTV that the weapon was used to attack Raja repeatedly, even as the man tried to save himself. Police have also found during the probe that the accused had bought the machete from near Guwahati's railway station.
Raja and Sonam Raghuvanshi were in Meghalaya for their honeymoon when they went missing on May 23. Raja's body was found in a gorge near Weisawdong Falls on June 2 while a search continued for Sonam. She emerged in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur, around 1,200 km away from the crime spot, on June 9 and surrendered before police.
Later, Sonam, her alleged lover Raj Kushwaha, Vishal Chauhan, Akash Rajput and Anand Kurmi were arrested for hatching the murder conspiracy.
A video recently emerged showing Raja and Sonam trekking through the mountains of Meghalaya. On the day of the murder, the couple had checked out of the home stay and set out on a trek to Cherrapunji. A guide who had seen them last saw the couple and offered his services, but they refused. Around 2,000 steps into the around 3,000-steps route, the three accused joined them.
Raja's family has demanded a narco-analysis test on prime accused Sonam's parents and said the family suspects the involvement of more people in the killing. It was initially suspected that Sonam and Raj hired the three other accused to kill Raja, but it later emerged that they were friends of his.
Sonam's brother Govind attended the Hindu rituals held on the 13th day after a death, although Raja's family said he had not been invited. "I am here to seek forgiveness. If anyone suspects us, we are asking to be investigated. We stand with Raja Raghuvanshi's family," he told reporters. Govind had also taken part in Raja Raghuvanshi's post-death ritual in Ujjain on June 13.
