'I was drugged, kidnapped': What Sonam Raghuvanshi told cops
What's the story
Sonam Raghuvanshi, the 24-year-old woman arrested for allegedly murdering her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, has denied the charges.
Speaking from a one-stop center in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, she claimed she was kidnapped and did not kill anyone.
"After she woke up later in the afternoon, she said she was kidnapped and said she did not kill anyone," a staffer at the center told Hindustan Times.
Cop
'Sonam presented herself as a victim'
Speaking with NDTV, UP Police's Additional Director General Amitabh Yash revealed similar details about the crime, including Sonam's assertion that "she was drugged and brought to Ghazipur."
"Sonam presented herself as a victim before the police....She informed her family about this, knowing the police would eventually reach her. Around 3:00am on Monday, she told her family...she was at a dhaba on the Ghazipur-Varanasi road. Her family contacted the Madhya Pradesh police, who informed the local police, leading to Sonam's arrest."
Deets
She lacked knowledge of police procedures: Top cop
However, Sonam is a poor planner, Yash continued.
"She lacked knowledge of police procedures and thought she could escape by posing as a victim, but she failed. The Meghalaya police have done excellent work and are currently handling the case. If they seek assistance, we will provide it," he said.
He also said that "CCTV footage and other evidence are being examined, and the truth will soon emerge."
Allegations
Sonam's disappearance and husband's murder
Sonam, who went missing for two weeks, allegedly hired a group of killers to murder her husband days after their wedding in Madhya Pradesh, police said.
After Raja's body was found in a gorge near Weisawdong Falls on June 2, Sonam claimed she was kidnapped and abandoned in Ghazipur.
She then called her brother for help.
Sonam's father, Devi Singh Raghuvanshi, has also defended her, saying, "She cannot do this (kill her husband). They got married with...consent of both families."
Case timeline
Couple's marriage and honeymoon details
Sonam and Raja got married on May 11 in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. They left for their honeymoon in Meghalaya on May 20.
The couple went missing on May 23 from a homestay in Nongriat village.
Their rented scooter was found abandoned at a cafe along the road from Shillong to Sohra.
Raja's body was found on June 2 and identified by his family through a tattoo on his right hand.