Meghalaya Police Arrest Two in Indore Businessman's Murder Case

Arrests Made in Connection with Indore Murder

Shillong/Indore, June 23: A special investigation team (SIT) from Meghalaya Police has apprehended two individuals in Madhya Pradesh linked to the murder of Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, as confirmed by a senior official.

This latest development brings the total number of arrests in this case to seven.

On Saturday night, the SIT detained a property dealer for hiding a box belonging to Raghuvanshi's wife, Sonam, which she concealed in an Indore flat following the murder last month.

According to East Khasi Hills district SP Vivek Syiem, the Meghalaya Police SIT arrested Silome James at the Bhonrasa toll-gate in Dewas district while he attempted to escape to Bhopal around 7:30 PM on Saturday. James is a property dealer and lessee of a building in Heera Bagh Colony, where Sonam had resided and stored her belongings after the incident.

Subsequently, the SIT also arrested a security guard named Balla Ahirwar from his village in Ashok Nagar district around 2 AM on Sunday. He was stationed at the property.

Both individuals will be presented in court in Indore, where the police will request a transit remand to take them to Shillong for further investigation.

Sources indicate that the box contained crucial evidence related to the murder.

The arrested property dealer guided the SIT to the location where he disposed of the box's contents by burning them, according to the officer.

A member of the SIT revealed that Sonam's boyfriend, Raj Kushwaha, possessed a firearm, which was kept at the property along with jewelry and a laptop.

At the site where James burned the box, no traces of the pistol, laptop, or any jewelry belonging to Raja were found. A forensic team has since visited the area to gather all available evidence.

The flat was rented to co-accused Vishal Chauhan by James, who operates a property management firm in Indore.

On June 13, James informed reporters that Chauhan had approached him on May 30 to rent the flat for Rs 17,000 per month, with a formal agreement signed.

However, when Meghalaya Police searched the flat later, it was discovered to be vacant, according to sources.

Sonam had stayed in the flat for several days after returning from Meghalaya before ultimately surrendering to police in Uttar Pradesh on June 8, sources added.