An unexpected twist has emerged in the investigation of the murder of Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi. The Meghalaya Police has revealed that the culprits had planned to kill an unidentified woman, burn her body, and pass it off as Raja's wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, to help her evade capture following Raja's death, according to a PTI report.

The mastermind behind this gruesome plan has been identified as Raj Kushwaha, who is allegedly Sonam's boyfriend, with Sonam herself implicated as a co-conspirator.

The planning for the murder began in February in Indore, with discussions on various ways for Sonam to disappear after Raja's killing. One plan involved making people believe that she had drowned in a river, while another plan was to murder a woman, burn the body, and claim it was Sonam's. However, none of these plans came to fruition, as per the police officer quoted by PTI.

The group responsible for Raja Raghuvanshi's murder had arrived in Assam several days prior to the arrival of the newlywed couple in the state on May 19.

When their initial plans failed, Sonam decided to travel to Shillong and Sohra, where they all met at Nongriat. From there, they proceeded together to Weisawdong Falls, where Raja was brutally attacked and killed in front of Sonam by three individuals wielding a machete they had purchased in Assam. The body was then disposed of in a gorge.

Sonam provided one of the assailants with her raincoat to conceal bloodstains, and they left the scene on scooters, abandoning the two-wheeler they had rented. The raincoat and scooter were later recovered by the police when Sonam was reported missing.

Following the murder, Sonam was given a burqa by one of the accomplices, which she used to disguise herself and travel to various locations before eventually making her way back to Indore.

Despite attempts to cover their tracks, the media in Meghalaya interviewed a tour guide who had seen Sonam and Raja with three other individuals, leading to the unraveling of the murder plot.

All five suspects have been remanded in police custody for eight days as further investigations are conducted to gather evidence and reconstruct the crime scene. The police are confident that a charge sheet will be filed within the mandatory 90-day period.