NDTV has accessed exclusive details about 'Operation Honeymoon' that the Meghalaya police undertook to track Sonam and her alleged associates.
Raja and Sonam were last seen checking out of Shipara Homestay in Meghalaya's Nongriat village on May 23. His body was found in a gorge on June 2. Sonam surfaced a week later in Uttar Pradesh to face charges that she and her boyfriend had hired three hitmen - Akash, Anand, and Vikash - to kill Raja.
Sources in the police team that cracked the case have revealed the chain of events that seek to establish Sonam's whereabouts after the murder, as the cops try to establish the prime suspect's modus operandi.
Sonam and Raj had made the murder plan just a few days after her May 11 wedding with Raja. Nine days later, on May 20, they left for Meghalaya for their honeymoon. A day later, they were in the state capital Shillong.
The hitmen arrived in Guwahati on May 21. From there, they reached Shillong on May 22, following Sonam and Raja. The murder apparently occurred on May 23, the day the couple went untraceable.
Sonam was seen about 10 kilometres away from the crime location, and the murder occurred before her, sources said. It was Sonam who had directed the hitmen to kill Raja, the three accused have claimed.
After the murder, all four accused assembled 11 kilometers away from the crime scene (Raj did not travel to Meghalaya).
Sonam then reached Guwahati from where she left for her hometown by train. She arrived in Indore on May 25 and met Raj, who had arranged a room on rent for her to stay. Raj, meanwhile, stayed in another hotel nearby.
They later arranged a car that took her to Uttar Pradesh, said sources.
Sonam surrendered in Ghazipur late at night on June 8, with police claiming that she was found in a distraught state and with a fever.
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