While the body of Raja Rahuvanshi was found earlier this week, his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, is still missing. Multiple agencies are engaged in the search. The mystery about the Indore tourist Raja Raghuvanshi’s murder and the disappearance of his wife during their honeymoon in Meghalaya keeps deepening.
The newly-wed couple, who were on their honeymoon in the East Khasi Hills area, disappeared on May 23.
While the body of Raja Raghuvanshi was found earlier this week, his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, is still missing. A team of multiple agencies is engaged in the search for the missing woman. Here is what we know so far about the Meghalaya murder and disappearance mystery.
The Meghalaya murder mystery | What is known
Couple’s travel to Meghalaya: The newlywed couple Raja Raghuvanshi and Sonam Raghuvanshi from Madhya Pradesh’s Indore travelled to Meghalaya for their honeymoon. They left on May 20, nine days after their wedding, which took place on May 11. According to CCTV footage, the couple was last seen checking into a hotel in Shillong on May 22, wearing black coats and carrying a white suitcase.
Check-in at Shillong hotel: The couple checked out of the Shillong hotel on May 23 and travelled to an area near Cherrapunji. They last talked to their family that afternoon. In the audio clip of the call, Sonam could be heard telling her mother-in-law that they were hiking amid her religious fast and promised to call when they reached their destination. There has been no contact since then. The scooty they rented was found near a ditch on May 24.
Man’s body found: Raja Raghuvanshi’s body was found in a gorge on June 2, not far from where the scooty was found a week earlier. The cops said that he was murdered and also recovered his mobile phone and a machete believed to be the murder weapon. The search for his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, is still ongoing.
Raincoat found, wife still missing: The cops found a black raincoat stained with what looked like blood. Superintendent of police, East Khasi Hills, Vivek Syiem, said that the investigators were looking into the possibility of the raincoat belonging to the missing woman, though there has been no confirmation regarding this. It has also not been confirmed if the stains were indeed blood. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the police are jointly conducting a search operation
What govt said: Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma assured that no stone would be left unturned in getting justice for the couple. A Special Investigation Team was formed on Wednesday to look into the murder and disappearance mystery. On the other hand, Raja Raghuvanshi’s family has demanded that the investigation be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
