'If guilty, she must be hanged': Sonam Raghuvanshi's brother on Meghalaya murder

Govind went to the residence of Sonam's in-laws in Indore on Wednesday, and a video shows him hugging Raja's mother.

In the video viral on X, Raja's mother, Uma, is seen crying, and Govind breaks out into tears too.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Govind said, "It is not confirmed that Sonam was behind the murder. But the evidence being brought to light makes me 100% sure that she has got this done. The names of the other people that have come to light are all related to Raj Kushwaha."

"I have apologised to Raja's family. I had given my sister to this family and I am a part of it now. My family has severed all ties with Sonam. I liked Raja. If Sonam is guilty, she must be hanged," he said.

Govind said Kushwaha used to call Sonam 'didi' (elder sister) and added that she had also been tying a rakhi (a sign of sisterly love) on Kushwaha's wrist for the past three years. 

Meanwhile, Sonam and the four other accused have been taken to Meghalaya's Shillong for further investigations by the state police.

The four accused, who have already admitted their crime, are Anand Kurmi, Akash Rajput, and Vishal Singh Chauhan and Sonam's boyfriend Raj Kushwaha.

Sonam was arrested in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur on Monday after she surrendered at a police station, claiming her husband was killed by men who were trying to rob them, and she was drugged and brought to Uttar Pradesh.

The victim, Raja Raghuvanshi, and his newly married wife, Sonam, had gone missing on May 23.

A week later, Raja's body was recovered from a gorge. A search was conducted for Sonam, who eventually turned up in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur a week later.

According to Meghalaya cops, Sonam was in an extramarital affair and wanted to get rid of Raja. Hence, she plotted the murder.

She planned the murder in connivance with her boyfriend, Raj, and surrendered under pressure on June 8, according to the police. Both were later arrested.