SHILLONG, June 24: East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police, Vivek Syiem on Tuesday informed that the three persons arrested for destroying crucial evidence related to the recent murder of Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi at Sohra will be brought to Shillong on Thursday for further interrogation.
Lokendra Singh Tomar, a resident of Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh and landlord of a flat at Dewas Naka where Sonam Raghuvanshi, the prime accused in the murder case, had taken shelter while hiding in Indore, was arrested on Monday for destruction and concealment of vital evidence.
On Sunday, Silome James, a property dealer who rented out a flat to Vishal Singh Chauhan, one of the main accused in the case, and Balia Ahirwar, a security guard posted at the apartment complex where the flat is located, were also arrested for destruction of evidence. “We have sought a seven days transit remand. All the accused persons will be brought to Shillong and they will be produced before the court the day after tomorrow (Thursday),” he said.
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The SP said that the fact Sonam was staying in the flat at Gwalior only came to light after interrogation by the special investigation team (SIT). However, when the police team went there on June 10, they found the place empty.
Police have evidence of the involvement of the three arrested persons in destroying evidence vital to the murder case. “We have proof of them taking the box out — whereby the gold of Sonam and the chain of Raja were in there,” he added.
They are not involved in the murder per se but are involved in destroying vital evidence, he said, adding, “The only possible reason I could see now is greed. Probably these people got greedy as the accused got arrested, must have thought let us check what is there, maybe cash and all that, not knowing that police will trace the whole thing back. Later realizing that people will come and will be able to ascertain, these three people took off and from their actions, it shows that they are guilty and culpable.”
“We have taken debris of the burnt materials from there. A Forensic team from Madhya Pradesh had come and we are sending them for forensic analysis to ascertain what it is. Probably it could be a phone. There is no sign of jewellery,” he said.
Further, police have ascertained that Sonam and her lover Raj Singh Kushwaha are in a relationship and have their own companies. They wanted to further their businesses.
“These are apparently the only things in the interest of getting rid of Raja because they want to further their business and they are in a relationship. Nothing beyond this has come out,” he said, adding, “We have unraveled this case and it is our endeavour to build evidence and that is why it is not only a statement of admission but building evidence against those statements.” The SP expressed confidence that police will be able to file a chargesheet at the earliest.
On the demand for narco analysis, he said he doesn’t see the need for such analysis at this stage. “Narco analysis is actually banned by the Supreme Court. Narco tests are not admissible in court. It will just give us an idea or a clue. When they have already admitted to the crime, we have done reconstruction, and recorded evidence at the place of occurrence, I don’t see why we should go for narco analysis at this stage,” he added. (NNN)
