One of accused in Raja Raghuvanshi murder case had rented flat in Indore after killing
Raja's body was found in a deep gorge near a waterfall in Sohra area (also known as Cherrapunji) of East Khasi Hills district on June 2.
A probe that began on May 23 after Raja disappeared in East Khasi Hills district in Meghalaya zeroed in on his wife Sonam, who was held from Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh, and her alleged aides Raj Kushwaha, Vishal Chauhan, Anand Kurmi and Akash Rajput.
Indore, Jun 13 (PTI) A property management businessman in Indore on Friday claimed that one of the accused in the sensational Raja Raghuvanshi murder case had rented a flat from him here a week after the killing.
'Chauhan met me on May 30 and rented a flat in Dewas Naka for Rs 17,000 per month. He signed a contract and also gave security deposit of Rs 34,000. I handed over the keys to him but I am not sure he or any of his companions came there,' Shilom James, a property management firm owner, told reporters.
'The flat is locked and the keys are with its tenant. The building in which the flat is located is new and does not have CCTVs as yet. I had informed police about Chauhan renting this flat,' James claimed.
Raja and Sonam got married on May 11 and had left for Meghalaya for their honeymoon on May 20. PTI HWP MAS BNM
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
16 minutes ago
- Time of India
Four arrested after Noida bizman's murder unveils currency scam
Noida: Four men have been arrested in Noida for their alleged involvement in a currency exchange scam that culminated in the murder of a 40-year-old businessman earlier this week. The suspects, part of a well-oiled ring, used a network of rented flats, staged foreign exchange deals, and violent tactics to trap and rob currency dealers. The suspects were identified as Ajay Kumar Sharma (48) and his son Mukul Sharma (25), both from Ghaziabad's Indirapuram, along with Akash Upadhyay (24) from Mahoba and Aryan Yadav (25) from Delhi. Police said Mukul and Akash were injured in a gunfight while attempting to flee a checkpoint near Noida's Sector 54. Officers recovered firearms, a stolen motorcycle and cash—both Indian and foreign—worth Rs 10.3 lakh from them. The case came to light after Ompal Bhati, a currency exchange operator from Sector 18, was shot dead in a rented flat in Sector 12. Bhati had reportedly gone there to exchange Rs 10 lakh in cash after being lured into a fake currency deal. Police said the group's modus operandi involved scouting for currency dealers, posing as genuine clients seeking to convert foreign currency, and renting properties briefly with token deposits to stage deals. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo Once the target arrived with cash, the accused would rob them at gunpoint and flee. Investigators revealed that Ajay Sharma masterminded the operations while his son Mukul, Akash, and Aryan surveyed and met with victims. In Bhati's case, the group had claimed they wanted to exchange Canadian dollars worth Rs 7 lakh. Akash even withdrew Rs 3 lakh to lend credibility to the fake deal. After Bhati arrived at the Sector 12 flat, the suspects attempted to rob him, but he resisted and was fatally shot. The group contacted Ajay post the murder, who advised them to take shelter at Aryan's house in Delhi. Police say they had defrauded another exchange operator of 8,000 dirhams just before their arrest. All four have been charged with murder, fraud, and possession of illegal firearms. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
Time of India
16 minutes ago
- Time of India
2 get life in jail for murder of kin over dispute at feast
Lucknow: A special Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) court here on Saturday sentenced Manoj Verma (35) and Anubhav Verma alias Abhinav alias Digambar Verma (27) to life imprisonment for the 2019 murder of their relative Shiv Kumar. They beat him to death after a quarrel during a family feast in Ibrahimpur. Judge Ramvilas Singh also levied a fine of Rs 50,000 on each convict; failure to pay will result in an additional four months' simple imprisonment. The duo were convicted under IPC Section 302 (murder) of the IPC and Section 3(2)(v) of the SC/ST (PoA) Act, which prescribes enhanced penalties for crimes committed against Dalits. Special Public Prosecutor, Sudip Mishra, told TOI that according to the FIR filed by Anshu Lata of Qazipur village, a 'bahu bhoj' (post-wedding banquet) was hosted at her home on May 3, 2019. During the meal, the accused verbally abused Shiv Kumar—allegedly using casteist slurs—after complaining the food was cold. Witnesses told police the duo threatened to "settle scores later." Around 11 pm the same night, as Shiv Kumar was cycling home, Manoj and Anubhav intercepted him near a canal bridge outside Qazipur. They bludgeoned him with sticks and fled. His body was discovered at first light in a nearby field belonging to a local farmer. FIR was registered at Ibrahimpur police station for murder and atrocity offences. "A charge sheet was filed on May 24, 2019; charges were formally framed on Oct 22, 2021. During trial, the prosecution examined 12 witnesses, including complainant Anshu Lata, eyewitness Amit Kumar, investigating officers, and autopsy surgeon Dr Pradeep Kumar Singh, whose testimony corroborated the fatal assault," said Mishra. Judge Singh, in a detailed 47-page order, held the attack was premeditated, motivated by caste animus and proven "beyond all reasonable doubt." He directed that Rs 40,000 from each convict's fine be paid as compensation to Shiv Kumar's next of kin, elaborated Mishra. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
Time of India
31 minutes ago
- Time of India
Sacrificed at the altar of `illegal marriages', poor Muslim women face abandonment
Hyderabad: She was 28 when Imran* came home asking for her hand in marriage. And more than Rabia*, it was her daily wager parents who rejoiced in that moment. Their daughter was the eldest of five siblings, way past the "ideal" marriage age and often, discreetly ridiculed among relatives, for her "ordinary" physical attributes. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now So, when the small-time trader from Hussaini Alam demanded an 'off-the-record' wedding, nobody objected. Imran assured a Mehr (gift given by husband to the wife at the time of a Muslim wedding) of Rs 50,000, gathered two witnesses and it was done. There was neither a Qazi nor a nikah nama (a formal marriage contract as per Islamic tradition). Three months hence, Rabia has been unceremoniously abandoned. She is back at her parents' modest home in First Lancer – hiding from the man she thought would take care of her for life. And though beaten and bruised, she has no locus standi to drag Imran to the cops or the court. "Without a nikah nama, there is no official proof of the marriage. How can I take any action against him?" a visibly distraught Rabia told TOI, adding how despite the abuse, she is, unfortunately, at the mercy of her husband for survival. "My parents are too poor. They married me off, knowing this was illegal, only because they thought they'd have one less mouth to feed. Now, if he doesn't give me any money for sustenance what will I or my family do?" This ugly face of contract marriages without documents – a menace alive and thriving in the battered alleys of Hyderabad's Old City for years now – has pushed scores of poor Muslim women into a state of absolute helplessness. Locally referred to as 'Khutbah ki shaadi' (Khutbah is one of the religious sermons recited during an official nikah), these illegal weddings have become frequent in recent times, say social activists working with the victims. And the storyline in most cases is much the same: the woman is past her "prime", taken in by the husband for a few months and then abruptly dumped – often for another woman. But none of the victims have legal documents to prove their nikah. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Social workers explain how this 'trend' of dummy marriages started picking up post the decriminalisation of adultery in 2018. "This, coupled with the ban on triple talaq that came in 2017, led to several men, unwilling to get tangled in legalities, abandoning their women without a formal divorce," said Jameela Nishat, founder of Shaheen Women's Resource and Welfare Association. "These are much like contract marriages, but worse. While the former are illegal too, they at least have a nikah nama and a Qazi, allowing the women some room to fight for their Mehr or maintenance money. These illegal Khutbah marriages have taken even that right away." The women subjected to such arrangements confirmed that such marriages come with no assurances (barring verbal) of any kind -- no supporting documents and, of course, no legal or religious stamp of approval. Some women are given a stamp paper (TOI has a copy of one such marriage document), but all it has are the names of the two people getting married and the witnesses. "He was with me for eight months. Then suddenly, one day, he dropped me off at my mother's house in Saidabad and asked me not to come back again. After days of cajoling him to return, he said he has a girlfriend and wants to be with her," said a distraught Samiya* whose husband, she found, has had more than one Khutbah ki shaadi. The 30-something is now pleading with the man to either reunite or offer her monetary help to stay afloat. TOI's investigation revealed that there are marriage bureaus operating in different parts of the city, clandestinely arranging such illegal marriages – albeit for a fat commission. "Yes, we will get it done…It will be for three months…There'll be no nikah nama or Qazi… We will take all precautions to ensure there is no problem (read: police scrutiny)," said the woman from the other side of the telephone when TOI called one such bureau in Langar Houz, posing as a prospective client. She claimed that the availability of the 'bride' will depend on the money the man's family (that TOI posed to represent) was willing to pay. "We usually arrange for women who have been previously married. But if you are willing to pay Rs 5 lakh, we can get you an unmarried girl also. We will get the girl to sign a contract to ensure she doesn't create any issues once the marriage is over," the woman continued, asking TOI to send the prospective groom's biodata over WhatsApp. All the 'dealings', she said, would happen at her office in Malakpet. The bureau's commission: an undisclosed percentage of the lump sum. "Most of the money is pocketed by these agents with just a fraction finally going the woman's way…They also, usually, fish for distressed women who are aging, are extremely poor or abandoned by men in the past, as they are easy prey," said another social activist working in the Old City. Afreen* is a classic example. While she was promised a monthly maintenance of Rs 15,000 when she agreed to the 'stamp paper wedding' for three months, she hasn't received a single paisa so far. "He just disappeared one day, leaving me with a child who is disabled," said the 30-year-old struggling for one square meal. Her ailing father had consented to the marriage, about a year ago, only because the family coffers were fast drying up and there were three more daughters waiting in line for nikah. Expressing extreme displeasure over the existence of such marriages, Mufti Omar Abideen said Islam does not allow for such "illegal" contracts. "Marriage is like worship and under Islamic law, it must be revered not belittled. Also, adding Khutbah to such contract weddings doesn't make them legal and shariah compliant. In fact, it amounts to misuse of the word that is associated with something pious," he said. * All names have been changed to protect identities
