Another held at Gwalior in Raghuvanshi murder case
Indore: Madhya Pradesh police on Monday detained another accused in the murder of Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi in Gwalior, on the request of a Shillong police SIT that was camping in Indore investigating the murder that rocked the nation.
Lokendra Tomar, owner of the apartment in Indore, where Raja's wife and main accused Sonam stayed in hiding, was detained from Gwalior's Gandhinagar area.
Tomar reportedly rented the building to Shilom James, a contractor who was also arrested in connection with the destruction of crucial evidence.
A team from Gwalior crime branch arrived at MK Plaza, Gandhinagar, caught Lokendra Tomar, and took him with them. Vivek Siyem, East Khasi Hills SP (Meghalaya), said, "A splinter team of Shillong police on Monday left from Indore to Gwalior to formally arrest the accused person, who will then be produced before a court in Gwalior for transit remand."
He is the landlord of the flat at Dewas Naka, where Sonam had taken shelter while hiding in Indore, the SP said adding he had left Madhya Pradesh on June 16 for Uttarakhand. From Uttarakhand, Tomar had proceeded to Gwalior on June 22.
"The accused is wanted in connection with the destruction and concealment of material/ evidence which are vital to the case," he said.
Shillong SIT had arrested three accused in connection to tampering with evidence and other charges.
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"All the three will most likely be brought on Wednesday to Shillong," Siyem said.
Shillong police, which already arrested James and the building guard Balveer Ahirwar, produced them before a court on Sunday, which sent them on a 7-day transit remand.
During interrogation, James reportedly revealed that he leased the building from Tomar for Rs 3 lakh per month and housed various tenants there, including Sonam. After Sonam's arrest, Tomar allegedly pressured James to immediately remove and burn the bag from the flat.
This bag is believed to have contained crucial evidence, including Raja and Sonam's mobile phones.
On Sunday, a special investigation team (SIT) from Shillong police, accompanied by officials from Indore crime branch and an FSL team, took James to Hare Krishna Vihar Colony, where he reportedly burned the bag in a vacant plot. Police intend to send the seized charred remains of the bag for forensic analysis.
This examination aims to identify what else was burned along with the bag and determine how long ago the destruction occurred. There is suspicion that SIM cards, electronic devices, and other items were also incinerated.
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