House Owner Who Sheltered Sonam After Murder Now Suspected Of Hiding Evidence
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James, during questioning, revealed that Tomar had asked him to remove Sonam's bag from the flat after Sonam surrendered. The house owner, Tomar, is currently missing.
As the investigation into the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi continues, with his wife Sonam currently in judicial custody, the Meghalaya SIT team now suspects the involvement of the owner of the Indore flat where Sonam and her aides hid after the crime.
Lokendra Tomar, the owner of an infrastructure company, is accused of taking a bag belonging to Sonam from a house in the Hirabagh area of Indore. According to a report by NDTV, the bag contained a country-made pistol, Sonam's mobile phone, jewellery belonging to Raja, and Rs 5 lakh in cash.
Tomar's name surfaced during the interrogation of Silome James, a property dealer who had rented the Indore flat to the murder accused.
James, during questioning, revealed that Tomar had asked him to remove Sonam's bag from the flat after Sonam surrendered. The house owner, Tomar, is currently missing, as per NDTV report.
Earlier on Saturday, police arrested James and a security guard in connection with the case. James was booked for concealing a jewellery box hidden in the flat, which allegedly belonged to Sonam.
East Khasi Hills SP Vivek Syiem had earlier confirmed that James was the lessee of the building at Heera Bagh Colony in Indore, where Sonam had stayed and stored valuables.
The jewellery box, later burnt by James, is believed to hold key evidence linked to the murder, according to PTI sources.
An SIT member revealed that Sonam's boyfriend, Raj Kushwaha, had also kept a firearm, jewellery, and a laptop in the flat, which was rented by murder co-accused Vishal Chauhan. The flat was leased by James on May 30 for Rs 17,000 per month.
A forensic team found no trace of the pistol, laptop, or jewellery at the site where the box was allegedly burned.
Sonam stayed at the flat for several days after returning from Meghalaya, before surrendering to the police in Uttar Pradesh on June 8.
First Published:
June 23, 2025, 16:30 IST
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