In a chilling murder case that has shocked the entire country, Sonam Raghuvanshi — the prime accused in the killing of her husband Raja Raghuvanshi — along with five others, has been remanded to eight days of police custody.

The decomposed body of Raja, a groom from Indore, was discovered last month in a forested area near Sohra (Cherrapunji), days after he went missing.

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All the accused — Sonam Raghuvanshi, Raj Kushwaha, Vishal Chouhan, Akash Rajput, and Anand Kurmi — were produced before the district and sessions court in Shillong on Wednesday, where Meghalaya Police sought a 10-day remand. The court, however, granted custody for eight days.

Earlier, speaking to reporters, East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem said Sonam’s formal interrogation would commence only after her court appearance, and dismissed reports suggesting she had confessed to the crime.

“The reports of a confession are speculative,” Syiem stated. “She will be interrogated after the court proceedings. Our focus is to establish the chain of events through proper evidence.”

According to police, the murder appears to have been premeditated, and they suspect the involvement of more individuals. Investigators are now examining call records and digital evidence. Once initial questioning in Shillong is complete, the accused will be taken to Sohra for crime scene reconstruction.

“We believe Sonam played a key role,” said Syiem, “but we are committed to substantiating our findings with hard evidence before drawing any conclusions.”

Raja Raghuvanshi had traveled to Meghalaya with Sonam under the guise of a trip, but went missing shortly after. His body was later discovered dumped in a remote forested area, triggering widespread outrage and media interest due to the disturbing nature of the case.

Sonam was arrested from Indore and brought to Shillong on a transit remand, while the other suspects are currently under investigation.