Raja Raghuvanshi murder: Meghalaya Police arrest eighth accused from Gwalior for destruction of evidence

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Meghalaya Police on Monday (June 23, 2025) arrested one more person in connection with the murder of Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi during his honeymoon in the Northeastern State, taking the total number of arrests to eight, officers said.

According to the police, Lokendra Singh Tomar was arrested from Gwalior for allegedly concealing and destroying evidence in the case. He is the owner of the apartment in Indore’s Heera Bagh Colony where Sonam Raghuvanshi, Raja’s wife and prime accused in the case, had stayed after returning to the city following his murder in Sohra area of Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills district.

“A team of Meghalaya Police arrived here and took Lokendra Tomar in custody. They will depart for Indore after finishing formalities here,” a senior officer in Gwalior Police told The Hindu.

A senior officer in Indore Police’s Crime Branch, which is coordinating the local probe with Meghalaya Police, said Mr. Tomar was arrested based on inputs from Silome James, an Indore-based property dealer who was arrested on June 22 for allegedly burning a box containing items belonging to Ms. Sonam and her alleged boyfriend Raj Kushwaha, another prime accused.

“Silome James has revealed the involvement of Lokendra in destruction of evidence. He is claiming that he acted on Lokendra’s instructions but we will get more clarity once the latter arrives here on Tuesday and the two are questioned together,” the officer said, requesting anonymity.

Apart from Mr. James, Balvir Ahirvar alias Balla, a security guard of the apartment building, was also arrested on June 22. The Meghalaya Police was granted a seven-day transit remand of the two persons, but the SIT is currently questioning them in Indore itself.

Ms. Sonam and Mr. Kushwaha are already in judicial custody in Meghalaya along with the latter’s three friends — Vishal Chauhan, Akash Rajput, and Anand Kurmi — who were allegedly hired to execute the murder.

Raja’s decomposed body had been found in a deep gorge in Sohra on June 2, after he and Ms. Sonam were reported missing on May 23. She was later arrested from Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur on June 9.