The Meghalaya police have arrested Lokendra Singh Tomar in connection with the murder case of Raja Raghuvanshi. He was sent on Tuesday on transit remand for three days. It was in his flat in Indore where Sonam Raghuvanshi, the victim’s wife, who is accused of plotting his murder, stayed before she surfaced in Ghazipur. Why did the police arrest him? A court in Meghalaya’s Shillong had remanded Sonam and her alleged lover, Raj Kushwaha, to 13 days’ judicial custody on Saturday

Tomar is the eighth accused in the case. Tomar was detained from a flat in the Gandhi Nagar area of Gwalior on Monday after the DCP (Crime) of Indore requested the SP of Gwalior. He was kept at Mohana police station overnight. He was handed over to a team of Meghalaya Police on Tuesday morning, said police station in-charge Rashid Khan.

He was produced in the district court, which sent him to the transit remand of Meghalaya Police for 72 hours, he said.

Why was he arrested?

East Khasi Hills district Superintendent of Police V Syiem said on Monday that Tomar was wanted in connection with the destruction and concealment of evidence vital to the case.

According to reports, Sonam had left a black bag behind when she left for Ghazipur. Tomar came to know about the bag. It is believed he allegedly asked his property dealer to destroy that bag, reported Live Hindustan. He allegedly did so because he knew the police would visit his Indore flat after Sonam’s arrest. He didn’t want to be implicated in the case.

Tomar, however, claimed that he didn’t know the accused involved in Raja Raghuvanshi’s murder and termed charges against him as false.

“I am aware of the allegations. I had given my flat on rent in Indore. I do not know anyone in this case. The bag being talked about was not with me. Apart from this, nothing has been recovered from me. I used to talk only to James (the property dealer). I will soon hold a press conference and answer all the queries,” he told reporters while police whisked him away.

The SIT of Meghalaya Police had arrested property dealer Silome James in Dewas district of MP and security guard Balla Ahirwar from Ashok Nagar district for allegedly concealing a box belonging to Sonam, who hid it in a flat in Indore after the murder last month.

The box is believed to have contained key evidence linked to the murder, sources had said.

Sonam and her lover, Raj Kushwaha, allegedly plotted Raja Raghuvanshi’s murder. They hired three people who killed the man in Meghalaya during Sonam and Raja’s honeymoon, days after their marriage.

Investigators have so far arrested eight persons, including Lokendra Tomar, Sonam, her boyfriend Raj Kushwaha and three hitmen.

With inputs from PTI, ANI