A Shillong court on Wednesday granted Meghalaya Police eight more days of custody of 24-year-old Sonam Raghuvanshi, the prime accused in the alleged murder of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, during their honeymoon in the State last month.

Sonam and her four alleged accomplices—Vishal Chauhan, Raj Kushwaha (21), Akash Rajput, and Anand Kurmi—were produced before the court amid tight security.

All five have now been remanded to police custody and will be held at the Shillong Sadar Police Station for further interrogation.

The chilling crime came to light after the couple, who had married on May 11, went missing on May 23 while holidaying in Meghalaya. They were last seen checking out of a homestay in Nongriat village. Days later, their rented scooter was discovered abandoned near Sohrarim.

On June 2, nearly 10 days after their disappearance, Raja Raghuvanshi’s body was recovered from a deep gorge near Weisawdong Falls in East Khasi Hills district.

Following an extensive manhunt, Sonam was traced and apprehended on June 8 near a dhaba along the Varanasi-Ghazipur highway in Uttar Pradesh. Shortly thereafter, Meghalaya Police named her and Raj Kushwaha as prime suspects in the murder case. The other three accused were later arrested in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, for their alleged role in the conspiracy and execution of the crime.

The case has sparked widespread attention due to its brutal nature and the alleged premeditation involved in the killing.