Indore (Madhya Pradesh): In a significant development in the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case, Shillong Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrested two more individuals, including a local property dealer and a building security guard, for allegedly helping destroy crucial evidence after the crime. The two arrests bring the total number of people held in the case to seven.
Additional DCP (Crime) Rajesh Dandotiya told Free Press that the SIT, which has been camping in Indore for several days, arrested Silom James, a property dealer, and Balveer Ahirwar, a security guard, for their roles in concealing and later destroying a bag belonging to Sonam, the woman at the centre of the case. James and Ahirwar were produced before the court from where they were given transit remand till June 28.
The bag—reportedly containing jewellery, a pistol, and a laptop—was hidden in a rented flat in the Heera Bagh area of the city, where Sonam stayed for several days after returning from Shillong. She surrendered to the police in Ghazipur on June 8.
Silom James, who had rented the flat to murder co-accused Vishal Chauhan at Rs 17,000 per month, was arrested from Bhorasa toll gate in Dewas district on Saturday evening, allegedly while attempting to flee to Bhopal. He later led the SIT to a location where he admitted to having burned the contents of Sonam’s bag, in an attempt to destroy evidence.
Security guard Balveer Ahirwar was arrested on Sunday from his native village in Ashok Nagar district. Investigators suspect that he, too, played a role in concealing the evidence.
A member of the SIT revealed that during the forensic sweep of the burn site, no trace of Raja’s jewellery, the pistol, or laptop was found. The site was examined thoroughly, but investigators believe key materials may have been completely destroyed in the fire. He added that a forensic team had also visited the spot and collected evidence from there.
Sonam had reportedly returned to Indore after Raja’s murder—allegedly committed by her lover Raj Kushwah’s three friends in Shillong—and stayed in the Heera Bagh flat, which was largely empty by the time the police conducted a search.
The flat was linked to Vishal Chauhan, who had signed a lease agreement with James on May 30—just days before the crime. Earlier, James had told media persons that he only provided the flat and was unaware of the crime.
So far, seven people have been arrested in the case, including Sonam, her alleged lover Raj Kushwah, Vishal Chauhan, Akash Rajpur, Anand Kurmi, Silom James, and Balveer Ahirwar. The first five are currently in judicial custody in a Meghalaya jail. Investigations are still ongoing.
