Sonam asked me not to watch news on murder case, says co-passenger

Shillong, June 15: In a fresh twist to the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case, a key eyewitness has come forward revealing her brief encounter with the prime accused, Sonam Raghuvanshi, during her escape journey in Uttar Pradesh. The woman, identified as Ujala Yadav, said that Sonam appeared calm and composed while travelling from Varanasi to Ghazipur, and even discouraged her from watching the news about the case.

Speaking exclusively to The Assam Tribune from Uttar Pradesh, Yadav said she met Sonam at the Varanasi Cantt bus station around 10:30 PM on June 7.

“She was dropped off at the bus stand by two masked men. I could not hear what they were saying to each other, but after a brief conversation, the men left. Sonam then sat beside me in the bus,” Yadav said.

Yadav recalled that Sonam, while sipping mango juice, enquired about her travel destination and asked questions about reaching Gorakhpur.

“She looked very calm, like someone who had nothing to worry about,” she said. However, things took a strange turn when Yadav began watching news about the murder case on her phone.

“Sonam told me not to follow such useless news,” Yadav added.

Initially, Yadav did not recognize her co-passenger, as Sonam had her face covered. “I later realised it was her from the photographs of her arrest at the dhaba that were circulating on social media,” Yadav said.

She was on her way to Saidpur near Ghazipur, while Sonam got off the bus at Ghazipur and surrendered to the police.

Interestingly, Yadav later contacted Raja Raghuvanshi’s family after recognizing Sonam in the news. She found Raja and Sonam’s wedding invitation card on social media, which helped her get in touch with the deceased’s brother, Sachin Raghuvanshi.

Meanwhile, the Raghuvanshi family has demanded a narco test on Sonam and other accused persons in the case.

Speaking from Indore, Sachin said that the family believes Sonam and her accomplices are hiding crucial information.

“Sonam stayed in Indore for 14 days after allegedly committing the murder. She must have had help. These people need to be identified,” Sachin stressed.

He also raised questions about the identity of the two men who dropped Sonam at the Varanasi bus station.

“According to Ujala Yadav, the men who dropped her off are not among the accused arrested so far. Who are these individuals? Sonam must reveal their identities. We are insisting on a narco test to uncover the full truth,” he added.

With more layers emerging in the case, investigators are likely to focus on identifying the individuals who allegedly assisted Sonam during her time in hiding, and particularly the two masked men seen at the Varanasi bus station.

The demand for a narco test may further intensify pressure on the accused as the family continues its pursuit of justice.