Meghalaya Police have taken into custody Lokendra Singh Tomar, the owner of an Indore flat where Sonam Raghuvanshi, wife of the murdered Raja Raghuvanshi, reportedly stayed after fleeing the North-eastern state. Tomar was on Tuesday remanded to police custody for 72 hours, adding another layer to the high-profile murder investigation.
Tomar’s detention on Monday stemmed from a coordinated effort between Indore’s DCP (Crime) and Gwalior police, leading to his apprehension from a flat in Gwalior’s Gandhi Nagar area. He spent the night at Mohana police station before being formally handed over to Meghalaya Police the following morning. Station in-charge Rashid Khan confirmed, “He was produced in district court and sent on three-day transit remand.”
Police sources indicate that Tomar is under the scanner for allegedly aiding in the destruction and concealment of crucial evidence linked to the murder. East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police V. Syiem had previously confirmed Tomar’s wanted status in the ongoing case.
However, Tomar, while being escorted by police, maintained his innocence. “I am aware of allegations. I had given my flat on rent in Indore. I do not know anyone in this case,” he told reporters. He further stated, “The bag being talked about was not with me. Apart from this, nothing has been recovered from me. I used to talk only to James.”
Investigators suspect that after the murder, Sonam had hidden a box containing vital evidence in Tomar’s Indore flat. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has already made arrests in this regard, including property dealer Silome James in Dewas and security guard Balla Ahirwar in Ashok Nagar. Both are accused of helping conceal the aforementioned box and are suspected of assisting Sonam during her escape.
The tragic sequence of events began after Raja Raghuvanshi, who married Sonam on May 11 in Indore, travelled with her to Meghalaya for their honeymoon on May 20. The couple went missing on May 23 during a visit to Sohra, near Shillong. Raja’s decomposed body was later discovered on June 2 in a gorge near a local waterfall.
Sonam is currently accused of conspiring with her boyfriend, Raj Kushwaha, to commit the murder of her husband. She subsequently fled Meghalaya, traversing through multiple states including Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh, before reaching Indore. She eventually surrendered in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, on June 8.
With Tomar’s custody, the total number of arrests in the case now stands at eight. This includes Sonam, Kushwaha, three alleged contract killers, and others suspected of being involved in hiding evidence, as investigators continue their efforts to fully unravel the intricate conspiracy.
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