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Shillong, Oct 30 (IANS) Meghalaya Police is set to file a supplementary chargesheet in the high-profile murder case of Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi in which three additional persons will be named as accused of destroying or hiding key evidence, officials confirmed on Thursday.
East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police (SP) Vivek Syem said the supplementary charge sheet will include the names of Siloam James, Lokendra Singh Tomar and Balbir Ahirwar as those allegedly involved in tampering with important materials related to the investigation.
“The forthcoming charge sheet will not be comprehensive; it mainly concerns destruction of evidence. The main charge sheet has already been filed,” Siem said.
Earlier, the police had filed a detailed 790-page main chargesheet, copies of which were handed over to the legal aid defense counsel on October 28. The primary chargesheet names five key accused – Sonam Raghuvanshi, Raj Kushwaha, Vishal Chauhan, Anand Kurmi and Akash Rajput – under sections related to murder, criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence.
All five accused are currently in judicial custody and their bail plea filed on October 17 was rejected by the court. Officials confirmed that while none of the families of the accused have appointed private legal representatives so far, the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) provides mandatory legal aid under the law. Copies of the charge sheet have already been shared with the court-appointed defense counsel.
Govind Raghuvanshi, brother of key accused Sonam Raghuvanshi, said the family has not yet decided whether to hire a private lawyer or not. He denied any outside influence on his decisions, saying, “We will review the charge sheet and decide our next course of action. There has been no communication with Sonam since her arrest.”
Sources said that after the formal filing of the main charge sheet, the charges framed against the five main accused have been clearly explained. Police officials reiterated their commitment to ensure accountability for all persons directly or indirectly involved in the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi.
The murder of Raja Raghuvanshi, a young businessman from Indore, had shocked the entire Meghalaya earlier this year, exposing a complex web of alleged conspiracy, betrayal and personal enmity. According to investigators, Raghuvanshi was murdered following a series of personal and financial disputes.
The case gained widespread public attention due to the alleged involvement of his wife Sonam Raghuvanshi, who has been made the prime accused in the case. Police have said the evidence against the main accused is “waterproof”, while further investigation into the destruction of key materials led to the identification of three additional suspects, who are now likely to be named in the supplementary chargesheet.
–IANS
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