- Raja Raghuvanshi murder follow-up
Indore, The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Shillong Police, probing the high-profile Raja Raghuvanshi murder case in Meghalaya, has made another crucial arrest. On Monday, Lokendra Tomar, the owner of an Indore building, was taken into custody from Gwalior, deepening the conspiracy surrounding the brutal killing.
Tomar’s arrest follows revelations of a conspiracy to destroy evidence involving him, Shillom James, and apartment guard Balveer Ahirwar. The flat in question is precisely where key accused Sonam allegedly sought refuge after the murder, and which Tomar had rented to Shillom James.
Sources indicate that the SIT team arrived at MK Plaza in Gandhi Nagar, Gwalior, around 4:30 PM on Monday. Four plainclothes officers apprehended Tomar from Flat No. 105, a detail confirmed by the apartment’s guard.
Investigations have uncovered that after Raja’s murder, Sonam returned to Indore and stayed at this very flat in Dewas Naka. Crucially, she left behind a black bag, which the Shillong police were desperately searching for. CCTV footage from June 20-21 provided vital clues, leading to the prior arrests of Shillom James and apartment guard Balveer Ahirwar.
During interrogation, it was revealed that Sonam’s bag was burned at Lokendra Tomar’s behest, a fact corroborated by a chat found on Shillom James’s mobile phone. James admitted to renting the building for ?3 lakh per month and housing various tenants, including Sonam.
Crime Branch sources suggest the incinerated bag contained critical electronic evidence, including Raja and Sonam’s mobile phones, along with other key documents. Following Tomar’s alleged instructions, James was pressured to dispose of the bag, which was subsequently burned in an empty plot in Krishna Vihar Colony. Police, accompanied by an FSL team, have since investigated the burn site. Forensic teams are now examining the recovered materials, fearing that SIM cards, electronic devices, and other vital documents have been obliterated.
Shillom James’s arrest was reportedly challenging; he attempted to evade police by turning off his phone and planning to flee from Indore to Bhopal. Police swiftly intervened to apprehend him. Guard Balveer Ahirwar was caught by police from Shadora in Ashoknagar district at 7 AM on Sunday, where he had returned for maize cultivation. Both James and Ahirwar have been remanded for seven days on transit, facing charges of aiding in the destruction of evidence.
