Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Two accused arrested in Indore's Raja Raghuvanshi murder case were acquitted by the court due to lack of evidence on Wednesday.
According to reports, Guard Balveer Singh Ahirwar and building owner Lokendra Singh Tomar were released due to lack of evidence. Police believed they may have helped conceal evidence after Raja’s murder. However, a detailed investigation later found no concrete proof linking them to the crime.
The investigation revealed that after the murder, Sonam and Vishal Chauhan stayed in a building in Lasudia. This building was reportedly rented by Silome James through a broker. However, the room agreement was in Vishal's name.
Accused of tampering evidences
Initially, Tomar was accused of instructing property dealer Silome James to burn a black bag containing crucial evidence, including ₹5 lakh and a pistol linked to the case. While Ahirwar was also suspected of playing a crucial role in tampering with the evidence.
Based on the initial investigation, the police arrested the accused. However, after examining the electricity bills and other technical details, the police did not find concrete evidence of the accused's involvement.
East Khasi Hills District Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem told media persons that the arrests were made under compelling circumstances, but subsequent investigation revealed no involvement of the duo.
"The final report conclusively ruled out their role, leading to their discharge," Syiem told media persons.
A second chargesheet has been filed in the case, with only one of the three, Shilom James, arrested for evidence destruction being chargesheeted. The court is expected to take up the matter shortly, with the trial proceeding on a fast-track basis.
The main accused, Sonam Raghuvanshi and Raj Kushwaha, along with other accused, are currently in judicial custody.
Murder Timeline
Raja Raghuvanshi’s body was recovered from a gorge in Shillong. Raja married Sonam on May 11, and the couple left from Indore for their honeymoon in Meghalaya on May 20. On May 22, they went on a trip to Sohra after renting a scooter. Contact with the couple was lost on May 24.
On June 3, Raja's post-mortem report revealed that he had been murdered with a tree-cutting weapon.
Sonam was found at the eatery in Ghazipur on June 9th. Following this, several revelations unfolded in the case, shocking everyone, including the Raghuvanshi family. The police arrested eight accused in the case, two of whom have since been acquitted by the court due to lack of evidence.
[With inputs from Staff Reporter]
