Two co‑accused in Raja Raghuvanshi murder case get bail

PTI | July 13, 2025 | Shillong : A local court here has granted bail to Lokendra Singh Tomar and Balbir Ahirwar, two co‑accused in the murder of Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi in May this year.

Tomar is the owner of the flat in Indore where Sonam had stayed after fleeing Meghalaya, and Balbir was the security guard at the property.

The Judicial Magistrate First Class on Friday granted bail to Tomar and Ahirwar as they had cooperated fully with investigations. They were charged under bailable offences, their lawyer said.

They faced charges related to obstruction of justice and tampering with evidence at a flat in Indore where Sonam and her alleged boyfriend Raj Kushwaha had stayed after the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi.

Raja Raghuvanshi, a businessman from Indore, went missing on May 23 while on a honeymoon with wife Sonam in Meghalaya. His mutilated body was found in a deep gorge in the Sohra area of East Khasi Hills district on June 2.

Raja had married Sonam on May 11. Sonam and Raj Kushwaha were accused of plotting and hiring three hitmen – Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan and Anand Kurmi – to murder Raja Raghuvanshi.

Sonam, Raj Kushwaha, and the three arrested hitmen are now in judicial custody.

Agencies: A Shillong court confirmed that Tomar and Ahirwar were granted bail because the offences were bailable and they had no direct involvement in the murder. Prosecutor Tushar Chanda noted their roles were limited to providing shelter and possibly facilitating concealment of evidence 

In related developments, property dealer Silome James was remanded to 14 days’ judicial custody on July 2 for allegedly destroying evidence—including firearms, ammunition, and cash—based on information shared with investigators.

After the murder on May 23, the SIT recovered a country‑made pistol, two magazines, ammunition, and ₹50,000 from a stream near Indore.

Lokendra Tomar was reportedly arrested in Gwalior on the request of Shillong police; he had fled Madhya Pradesh via Uttarakhand after the murder.

The granting of bail to Tomar and Ahirwar raises new questions regarding the ongoing investigation. The victim’s family has urged the court for a swift trial, while law enforcement has not commented publicly on whether the bail will affect other charges