In a significant development in the convoluted murder case of Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, Meghalaya Police have taken into custody a property dealer from Indore, Shilom James, on charges of allegedly concealing crucial evidence. The arrest comes as part of the ongoing, intricate investigation into Raghuvanshi’s demise, whose mutilated body was discovered on June 2nd in a deep gorge near a waterfall in Sohra, East Khasi Hills district, also known as Cherrapunji.
According to police sources, James is accused of assisting Sonam, Raghuvanshi’s wife and a prime accused in the case, by secreting away her bag in a flat shortly after the tragic incident. This bag is believed to hold vital material directly linked to the investigation, and its concealment is being viewed as a deliberate attempt to obstruct justice. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajesh Dandotiya confirmed the arrest, stating, “The Meghalaya police have arrested Shilom James, a property businessman from Indore, for allegedly hiding evidence related to Raja Raghuvanshi murder case.”
The narrative of this perplexing case began on May 11th when Raghuvanshi, a transport businessman, married Sonam. The couple then embarked on their honeymoon to Meghalaya on May 20th. Mysteriously, Raghuvanshi went missing on May 23rd, leading to the grim discovery of his body days later. Sonam, accused of conspiring with her alleged lover to orchestrate her husband’s murder, surrendered to police in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur district on June 8th. Four other individuals have also been apprehended from various locations in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh in connection with the crime.
Sources indicate that the hidden bag belonging to Sonam was found at a flat in Indore’s Dewas Naka locality. This flat was reportedly rented out to Vishal Chauhan, a co-accused in the murder case, by James, who operates a property management firm in Indore. James had previously informed mediapersons on June 13th that Chauhan approached him on May 30th and formally rented the flat for Rs 17,000 per month. However, a subsequent search of the flat by Meghalaya police found it vacant. It is believed that Sonam herself stayed in the flat for several days upon her return from Meghalaya before surrendering to the police.
The Meghalaya police had previously arrested five individuals in connection with Raghuvanshi’s murder: Sonam, her alleged lover Raj Kushwaha, and Kushwaha’s three friends – Vishal Chauhan, Akash Rajput, and Anand Kurmi. All five are currently in judicial custody and lodged in a jail in Meghalaya. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Meghalaya police is meticulously probing the case, unravelling its intricate layers.
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