Raja Raghuvanshi murder: Country-made pistol found as police unravel complex conspiracy

Raja Raghuvanshi murder

A country-made pistol believed to be linked to the murder of Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi has been recovered from a stream in the Palasia area of Indore, marking a breakthrough in the investigation into the high-profile case. PTI reported that the recovery was made by the special investigation team (SIT) of the Meghalaya Police, with assistance from the Indore Crime Branch, as authorities continue to unravel the complex conspiracy behind the killing.
East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem was quoted by PTI as confirming, "We have recovered a country-made pistol with two magazines... from a stream in Indore." The discovery is seen as crucial evidence, with Syiem noting, "The recovery of the firearm and ammunition confirms our suspicion about the kind of planning that went into this murder. We are piecing together every bit of evidence as we build a watertight case".

The investigation has revealed that the weapon, along with other items, had gone missing from a flat in Indore where Sonam, the wife of the deceased and the prime accused, had stayed for several days after fleeing Meghalaya following the murder. Sonam, her alleged lover Raj Kushwaha and three associates - Vishal Chauhan, Akash Rajput and Anand Kurmi - were arrested for allegedly hatching a conspiracy to kill Raghuvanshi during his honeymoon.

Raghuvanshi, who had married Sonam on May 11, went missing on May 23 while the couple was on honeymoon in Meghalaya. His mutilated body was discovered on June 2 in a deep gorge in the Sohra area of East Khasi Hills district.

Further developments in the probe included the arrest and interrogation of Silom James, a property dealer in Indore. Based on information provided by James, the SIT recovered the country-made handgun with two magazines of .32 rounds from the stream. Police had also recovered Rs 50,000 in cash from James’s car earlier, which he allegedly took from the laptop bag of Raj Kushwaha. According to the police, the bag was set on fire and the laptop discarded along a roadside, with efforts ongoing to recover the device, PTI reported.

As per NDTV, the SIT is also searching for jewellery that Sonam allegedly carried back to Indore after the murder. In total, three individuals, including the property dealer, have been arrested in Indore for tampering with evidence. The other two are flat owner Lokendra Tomar and security guard Balveer. Police sources said the trio will be brought to Shillong and produced before a local court, with authorities planning to seek their remand for further interrogation.