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Honeymoon murder case: Sonam made 239 calls to Raj, saved number as ‘Sanjay Verma’

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Shillong, June 19: In a chilling twist to the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi during his honeymoon in Meghalaya, police investigations have revealed that his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, the prime accused, was in regular contact with her lover Raj Kushwaha — whom she had saved in her phone as “Sanjay Verma” — both before and after her marriage.

According to Meghalaya Police, Sonam made and received over 239 calls from the number in just 39 days.

The police confirmed that the so-called Sanjay Verma is, in fact, Raj Kushwaha, who worked as an accountant in the furniture sheet unit owned by Sonam’s family in Indore.

He is now identified as the co-conspirator and the mastermind behind the murder plan.

Police suspect that Sonam deliberately saved Raj’s number under a different name to avoid arousing suspicion. His mobile phone has remained switched off since the case unravelled.

Sonam’s brother, Govind, reacting to the revelations, stated, “I don’t know anything about Sanjay Verma. I just got to know that Sanjay’s name is also coming up.”

He further emphasised that the family has cut all ties with Sonam and stands with the victim’s family in their fight for justice.

The murder has sent shockwaves across the country. What initially appeared to be a case of a missing couple took a dark turn when the body of Raja Raghuvanshi was discovered in the forested terrain of Meghalaya, not far from Nongriat village, where the couple was last seen.

The two had checked out from a homestay on May 23, just 12 days after their wedding in Indore, only for Raja’s body to be recovered on June 2.

According to police, Sonam had a long-standing relationship with Raj even before her marriage. Despite the ongoing affair, she went ahead with the wedding and planned a honeymoon trip to the northeast.

But the trip was part of a sinister plot to eliminate Raja. Police investigations have revealed that Sonam hired three contract killers — Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan, and Anand Kurmi — to carry out the murder.

Her cousin, Jitendra Raghuvanshi, is said to have facilitated the first payment instalment to the hitmen.

After days of being untraceable, Sonam surfaced on June 8 in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur district and surrendered at the Nandganj police station.

Her surrender came hours after the three hitmen were nabbed from different locations in Uttar Pradesh, Indore, and Sagar. Raj Kushwaha was arrested shortly after.

On June 11, during police interrogation, Sonam reportedly confessed to orchestrating the murder of her husband.

The murder, laced with deception and betrayal, has gripped national attention, particularly due to the elaborate planning and the disturbing involvement of multiple individuals close to the accused.

Govind, her brother, reiterated the family’s resolve to stand by Raja’s family.

“We have no relation with Sonam anymore. What she has done is beyond forgiveness. Our full support is with Raja’s family, and we will help them in their legal battle for justice,” he had said.

Crime

Mumbai Police Crack Down On Topaz Bar: Manager Booked For Licence Violations In Late-Night Raid

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Mumbai: The Crime Branch Unit 3 of the Mumbai Police conducted a late-night raid at an orchestra bar in South Mumbai and registered an FIR against the establishment’s manager for allegedly violating licence conditions.

According to officials, the action was taken at Topaz Bar and Restaurant located under the jurisdiction of DB Marg Police Station. An FIR  has been registered under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.

Police said that at around 11:55 pm on March 6, a team from Crime Branch Unit 3 carried out a raid at the bar in the presence of panch witnesses. During the inspection, officers found that the bar manager had allegedly violated the terms and conditions of the licence issued by the government for operating the bar establishment.

Following the raid, the manager, identified as Vipin Kumar Santosh Singh (43), a resident of Rashmi Star City, Naigaon East, was booked. He was later handed over to the DB Marg Police Station for further legal action.

The raid was conducted by a team comprising Senior Police Inspector Yerekar, API Deshmukh, PSI Trupti Patil, Head Constable Palande, Constable Patil, and driver Dhayigade. Further investigation is underway.

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Crime

Thane: Shots Fired Outside Businessman-Influencer Baba Khan’s Residence In Mumbra Early Saturday Morning; One Arrested, Second Accused Absconding

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Mumbai: Panic gripped residents of a housing society in Mumbra’s Kausa area after unidentified miscreants allegedly opened fire outside the residence of businessman and social media influencer Nadeem Moinuddin Khan (Alias: Baba Khan), early on Saturday morning. Police have arrested one accused in connection with the incident, while another suspect is absconding.

The firing took place in the early hours of March 7, when two individuals allegedly fired shots at his car and in the air to create panic. The Mumbra Police were immediately alerted about the same and reached the spot.

During the chase that followed, police managed to apprehend Shahabad alias Shambhu Munna Shamshad Qureshi (28) on the streets of Shil Daighar. Officials said Qureshi allegedly fired additional rounds while attempting to evade arrest. Two bystanders sustained injuries during this pursuit and were later provided medical treatment. The second accused, who was involved in the initial firing incident, remains on the run, and a search operation is currently underway.

Meanwhile, a video shared by Khan on social media soon after the incident has gone viral. In the clip, the influencer is seen expressing anger over the attack. He also shows several bullet shells lying on the ground.

Visuals in the video further show a car parked near the building with visible damage, including a cracked rear windshield and impact marks on the rear portion of the vehicle, allegedly caused by the firing.

Khan also claims in the video that he had previously received threats and had informed the Mumbra Police about the matter earlier. According to him, his concerns were not taken seriously at the time. He alleged that despite alerting the authorities earlier, the accused still managed to reach his residence and carry out the attack.

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Crime

ED Moves To Confiscate 18 Properties Worth Over ₹700 Crore Linked To Gangster Iqbal Mirchi And Family Under FEO Act

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Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has sought confiscation of 18 properties linked to gangster Iqbal Memon alias Iqbal Mirchi and his family members under the Fugitive Economic Offenders (FEO) Act. Three of the properties are located in Worli, while the remaining 15 are in Dubai.

Mirchi, who had moved to London, has died. However, beneficiaries of his properties, including his wife Hajra Memon and sons Asif Memon and Junaid Memon, were declared fugitive economic offenders by a special court in February 2021. The process to confiscate their properties began thereafter.

In January this year, the ED approached the special court with an additional list of 18 properties linked to Memon that it seeks to confiscate under the FEO Act.

The agency has listed three Worli properties for confiscation: Sea View, Marium Lodge and Rabia Mansion. These properties are valued at `497 crore.

Under provisions of the FEO Act, the agency can seek confiscation of properties of a fugitive person located outside the country. Accordingly, the ED has also sought confiscation of 15 properties in Dubai valued at AED10.15 crore (`203.27 crore).

These include Hotel Midwest apartment owned by the trio and valued at AED9.30 crore, along with several units in Business Bay, Dubai, and three properties at Marsa Dubai.

While seeking confiscation, the ED said trust entities in India and individual or corporate holdings in Dubai were used to conceal the true beneficial ownership of these properties and project tainted assets as untainted. According to the agency, the properties were acquired, controlled and enjoyed by the Mirchi family through systematic concealment, misrepresentation and laundering of illicit funds.

The ED said Mirchi acquired three properties in Worli through proceeds of crime in September 1986 for `6.50 lakh. These include Sea View, Marium Lodge and Rabia Mansion, which together measure 4,970.41sq m. In 2019, Mirchi decided to develop these properties.

According to the ED, its investigation revealed that the Wadhawans of DHFL paid `154 crore to Mirchi abroad for acquisition of the Worli properties Sea View, Marium Lodge and Rabia Mansion.

The agency also said Kapil Wadhawan transferred 14 units to Asif Memon at a price of AED4.5 million against the prevailing market value of AED13 million. The transfer was made through Dheeraj & East Coast LLC, a company owned and controlled by the Wadhawans, to settle issues related to finalisation of the deal.

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