Shillong: Eight days after an Indore couple vanished during a trek in Meghalaya, a grim discovery has brought a tragic turn to the mystery. The body of Raja Raghuvanshi, one half of the missing pair, was retrieved on Monday morning from a deep gorge near the Weisawdong parking lot, a popular tourist spot. The identification was made possible through a distinctive tattoo on the victim’s body, following a challenging drone-assisted recovery operation.
However, the fate of Raja’s wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, remains unknown, as search teams continue their relentless efforts to locate her. In light of the developing circumstances, Meghalaya Police have registered a murder case and swiftly constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to delve deeper into the incident, which has now cast a shadow over the safety of tourists in the picturesque state.
Family members of the deceased have vehemently called for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe, citing strong suspicions of foul play and potential robbery. They point to missing personal effects belonging to Raja, including his mobile phone, a ring, and a chain. “There are no CCTV cameras where the body was found. We cannot accuse anyone directly, but we suspect abduction. We urge the CM to hand over the case to the CBI,” stated Vipin Raghuvanshi, the victim’s brother, expressing the family’s deep concerns.
Among the items recovered from the scene were a smartwatch, fragments of a mobile phone, and a woman’s shirt, leading investigators to believe that the couple was likely together at the time of the incident. The post-mortem examination of Raja Raghuvanshi’s body will be conducted at the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) in Shillong to ascertain the precise cause of death. Meghalaya Police have not dismissed the possibility of foul play, and the unfolding case has undeniably raised serious questions regarding tourist safety in the region.
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