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Shillong, June 12 (IANS) The murder of Raja Raghuvanshi during his honeymoon in Meghalaya was unravelled after investigators found a mangalsutra and a ring left behind in a suitcase by his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, at a Sohra homestay, Meghalaya Police said.

The ornaments became the first crucial lead in what turned out to be a chilling case of contract killing, allegedly masterminded by Sonam and her boyfriend.

Raja, 29, and Sonam, 25, who had recently tied the knot in Indore on May 11, reached Meghalaya on May 20 for their honeymoon. The couple vanished on May 23 in Sohra, East Khasi Hills, just hours after checking out of a homestay in Nongriat village.

On June 2, Raja’s body was discovered in a gorge near Weisawdong Falls. The search for Sonam concluded when she surrendered in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur on June 9.

Police also arrested her boyfriend, Raj Kushwaha, along with three contract killers allegedly hired by Sonam to carry out the murder.

Meghalaya Director General of Police (DGP) I Nongrang revealed that a breakthrough in the case came when police recovered a mangalsutra and a ring from the suitcase Sonam had left at the Sohra homestay.

“A married woman leaving behind the ornaments gave us a clue to pursue her as a suspect in the case,” Nongrang said.

According to a police officer involved in the investigation, the couple had arrived at the Sohra homestay on May 22 without prior booking and were unable to secure a room.

They left their luggage at the property and planned to trek over 3,000 steps to reach Nongriat village, famous for its double-decker living root bridge.

The couple spent the night at a homestay in Nongriat and checked out early on May 23. After trekking back to Sohra, they collected their scooter from a parking area and rode toward Weisawdong Falls.

It was at this location that Raja was allegedly murdered in front of Sonam by the three hired assassins.

A tour guide later informed police that he had seen the couple accompanied by three Hindi-speaking men while trekking back from Nongriat to Sohra, a detail that significantly aided the investigation.

“All the accused have admitted to the crime, and with all the evidence gathered, there is no room for denial,” the officer added.

The police on Wednesday also said that all five accused have confessed to their roles in murdering Raja.

A court in Shillong has since remanded Sonam, her boyfriend, Raj Kushwaha, and the three contract killers to eight days of police custody as the probe into the gruesome murder continues.

–IANS

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New Delhi, June 12 (IANS) Delhi will continue to sizzle under a scorching heatwave on Thursday as the mercury is expected to remain dangerously high, prompting the issuance of a red alert across the national capital, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The IMD said that temperatures ranged from 40.9 to 45 degrees Celsius across various weather stations on Wednesday, while the heat index — a measure of how hot it feels when humidity is taken into account — reached an alarming 51.9 degrees Celsius.

At 5:30 p.m., Ayanagar was the hottest location in the city, recording a blistering 45 degrees Celsius.

Other parts of the capital were not far behind: Ridge 43.6 degrees Celsius, Palam logged 44.5 degrees Celsius, Pitampura 43.5 degrees Celsius, Safdarjung — Delhi’s base weather station — 43.3 degrees Celsius, and Lodhi Road 43.4 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, Mayur Vihar reported a relatively lower yet severe 40.9 degrees Celsius.

The soaring temperatures are forecast to persist until the end of the day, with a gradual decrease expected from Friday, June 13, onward.

The IMD bulletin observed that these temperatures are three to four degrees Celsius higher than usual, contributing to ongoing heatwave conditions expected to persist until Thursday.

The red alert, the highest warning level issued by the IMD, advises residents to take action by staying hydrated, avoiding direct sun exposure, and limiting outdoor activities, especially during peak afternoon hours.

Looking ahead to Thursday, the weather department has predicted maximum temperatures between 43 and 45 degrees Celsius.

Gusty winds with speeds of 40 to 60 kmph are likely, accompanied by a possibility of very light to light rain or thunderstorms in the evening or night.

Relief is expected from June 13, when the severity of the heatwave is anticipated to ease, prompting the IMD to downgrade the warning to an orange alert.

Between June 14 and 17, Delhi may see a notable dip in temperatures, ranging from 37 to 42 degrees Celsius.

The drop will likely be accompanied by light to moderate rainfall and gusty winds, which could alleviate the ongoing heat stress to some extent.

–IANS

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Srinagar, June 12 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, on Wednesday, chaired a meeting of the Culture Department of the Union Territory to assess the measures taken for the revival, restoration, preservation and maintenance of heritage and unique architecture, an official statement said.

“During this meeting the Chief Secretary took comprehensive review of the status of each work undertaken under capex and heritage conservation scheme,” the statement said.

“He emphasised upon the Department to take keen interest in completing all the works going on for the last year.”

Chief Secretary Dulloo said that all the works for revival and restoration of heritage are significant for protecting our rich past for our future generations.

“He made out that every effort should be made to conserve this historical treasure trove in a highly professional manner in order to present it to heritage lovers in an aesthetic fashion,” the statement added.

The Chief Secretary also enjoined upon them to accord the administrative approval to all the works that are to be taken up here.

He stressed on the fact that these works should be taken up without any delay for their completion on time.

On observing the current status of different architecture and heritage conservation projects, the Department of Archaeology and Archives was instructed to intensify the restoration efforts, ensuring visible progress on the ground.

“They were further asked to strike a balance in choosing the projects in each district so that the heritage and architectural monuments widely spread here are protected for posterity,” the statement said.

As far as the cultural revitalisation of Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex is concerned, the Jammu Divisional Commissioner was directed to transform Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex (MMHC) into a culturally vibrant space by organising cultural evenings in collaboration with the Academy of Art, Culture and Languages.

The Chief Secretary also emphasised upon the adaptive reuse of restored structures at MMHC.

The Department of Archaeology was tasked with developing a robust reuse plan for restored structures at MMHC.

He also called for putting to use the newly constructed reading room-cum-cafetaria, besides taking steps for creating enough parking space near this heritage complex at the earliest.

The Chief Secretary reviewed the progress made in conserving and modernisation of old Shri Pratap Singh Museum in Srinagar, besides the revised detailed project report for completion of new museum building here as per the past directives.

“The meeting also included an assessment of major heritage-related projects, including restoration and development of Shergarhi Palace, construction of Tehzeeb Mahal, and installation of a vertical lift between the Cable Car Project (Peerkho) and Mubarak Mandi Complex and creation of exclusive parking for heritage complex by Jammu Municipal Corporation,” the statement said.

In his presentation, the Principal Secretary of Culture Department, Brij Mohan Sharms, told the meeting about the pace and progress of projects being executed here under different phases of revival, restoration, preservation and maintenance of architecture and heritage, besides those taken up under the capex by the Department.

He apprised the meeting that the Department is going to collaborate with Islamic University of Science and Technology and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University for the conservation and protection of our heritage here in the Union Territory.

–IANS

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Bhopal, June 12 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Bharatiya Janasta Party Chief V.D. Sharma has said that former Congress MLA Laxman Singh was punished for daring to “speak truth” which was not received well by the “sycophants” of the Lok Sabha’s Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi.

He added that Congress says that it gives freedom to its party workers to express their views, but the reality is quite the opposite, and expelling former MLA Laxman Singh from the party was an example of it.

The BJP leader made these remarks responding to Congress’ decision to expel former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh’s younger brother Laxman Singh for his repeated anti-party activities.

“Through expelling Laxman Singh from the party, Congress has sent a message to its party cadre that those who would dare to speak truth will be shown the exit door. Congress wants slaves, and not the leaders, who dare to speak truth,” he added.

The Congress Disciplinary Committee on Wednesday expelled Laxman Singh from the party for six years, citing repeated instances of anti-party activities.

The decision came nearly more than a week after Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Bhopal on June 3 in which he said that those creating hurdles should step aside on their own or will be expelled from the Congress.

On April 25, Laxman Singh criticised the party leadership following the Pahalgam terror attack.

“Rahul Gandhi and Robert Vadra are naive. The country is suffering the consequences of their immaturity,” he said during a condolence meeting organised to pay tribute to the victims of the terror attack.

In another striking statement that very day, Laxman Singh alleged that Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was colluding with terrorists.

Taking note of his remarks, the Congress Disciplinary Action Committee issued him a show cause notice on May 9, demanding an explanation within 10 days.

In the notice, member secretary Tariq Anwar said, “This is to bring to your attention that a complaint has been received from Madhya Pradesh Congress Chief Jitu Patwari and All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary In-charge of Madhya Pradesh Harish Chaudhary regarding your repeated public statements, which have caused serious damage to the image and dignity of the Congress.”

“It has further been noted that your recent statement has crossed all acceptable limits, particularly the derogatory and disrespectful remarks directed at senior party leadership, including the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi,” the notice said.

Defiant in his stance, Laxman Singh challenged the Congress to expel him immediately if it deemed his comments unacceptable.

However, his response was found unsatisfactory, prompting the party’s disciplinary wing to recommend his removal.

Following approval from the Congress high command, Tariq Anwar formally announced Laxman Singh’s expulsion on Tuesday.

The princely state of Raghogarh has long wielded influence in Madhya Pradesh politics, with Digvijaya Singh serving as the Chief Minister before moving to the Rajya Sabha.

His son, Jaivardhan Singh, represents Raghogarh in the State Assembly, while Laxman Singh has served as both a Member of Parliament and a legislator from Chachauda.

Despite his political tenure, he has often been perceived as receiving less prominence than Digvijaya Singh’s immediate family.

He also had a brief stint with the BJP.

Tensions simmered in 2018 when Congress returned to power in Madhya Pradesh after 15 years.

Laxman Singh had expected a Ministerial position, given his seniority, but was overlooked in favour of Digvijaya Singh’s son, Jaivardhan Singh.

Though he refrained from public dissent at the time, he continued to express his grievances intermittently.

–IANS

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Kolkata, June 12 (IANS) Shweta Khan alias Fultusi, the prime accused behind the West Bengal porn racket case, was finally arrested by the West Bengal Police on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, the policemen first arrested her son Aryan Khan and then her daughter Zoya Khan, a co-accused in the porn racket case.

Based on the questioning of Aryan and Zoya, state police sources said the whereabouts of their mother were available and based on that she was also arrested late Wednesday evening from a hideout in the Alipore area in south Kolkata.

The main charges against Shweta, Aryan, and Zoya are holding a woman from the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal captive for six months and brutally assaulting her with an iron rod after she refused to participate in pornographic video shoots allegedly orchestrated by the three accused.

Since Zoya is a minor, her case will be processed under the Juvenile Justice Act and referred to the Juvenile Justice Board.

Meanwhile, Aryan has denied his involvement in the porn rackets and said that he had a relationship with the victim woman who wanted to marry him.

Police action has intensified after the National Commission for Women (NCW) took suo motu cognisance of the incident and wrote to the West Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar, demanding immediate arrests under the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

The NCW also instructed the state police to ensure that the victim receives free medical treatment and psychological counselling.

Additionally, the Commission has directed the DGP to submit a detailed action-taken report within three days.

Meanwhile, West Bengal BJP President and Union Minister, Sukanta Majumdar, has alleged that Shweta Khan has close links with several senior leaders of the ruling Trinamool Congress.

Trinamool Congress has not yet responded to the allegations.

–IANS

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