Indore property dealer arrested in Meghalaya honeymoon murder

The Meghalaya police has arrested a property dealer of Indore on charges of allegedly concealing vital information and evidence in the murder case of Raja Raghuvanshi, who was killed in Meghalaya on 23 May.

The three-member team of the Meghalaya Police that is camping in Indore for the past few days, arrested Indore resident Shilom James today.

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James had rented out a flat at the Dewas Naka area of Indore to one of the murder co-accused Vishal Chaudhary. However, the main accused, Sonam, wife of Raja, had reportedly stayed in this flat secretly for more than 10 days, soon after Raja’s murder.

Sources said that James is suspected of concealing a bag belonging to the main accused, Sonam. The bag is believed to have contained key evidence linked to the murder.

This bag, said to be black in colour, has not yet been found.

According to Indore Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajesh Dandotia, the Meghalaya Police has arrested Shilom James, a property businessman from Indore, for allegedly hiding evidence related to Raja Raghuvanshi murder case.

Raja Raghuvanshi (29), a transport businessman of Indore, got married to Sonam Raghuvanshi (25), also of Indore, on 11 May. They reached Shillong in Meghalaya on 20 May, for their honeymoon.

However, both went missing there on 23 May. Raja’s body was found in a deep gorge near a waterfall in the Sohra (Cherrapunji) area on 2 June.

The Meghalaya police registered a case of murder and launched investigations.

Meanwhile, Sonam remained missing for the next seven days, despite extensive search operations.

In the wee hours of 9 June, Sonam was located at a dhaba at Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh. She was initially detained and subsequently arrested, on suspicion of being the main mastermind behind her husband’s murder.

Following that, four more accused were arrested, including three suspected hired killers from Indore and Bina in Madhya Pradesh, and another suspect from Uttar Pradesh.

The Meghalaya police took all the four men, Raj Kushwaha, Vishal Chauhan, Anand Kurmi, and Akash Rajput, on transit remand from a Court at Indore and reached Shillong late night on 10 June.