'Honeymoon horror': Meghalaya CM vows justice in ‘unprecedented’ Indore tourist 'homicide'

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today described the killing of the honeymooning tourist as an "unprecedented" incident that has shocked the entire state, as police recovered what they believe to be the murder weapon used in the crime along with additional evidence, including a stained coat.

Speaking to local reporters, Sangma said the incident involving 29-year-old Raja Raghuvanshi from Indore was unprecedented in Meghalaya and had taken everyone by surprise and shock. He added that even the local people and stakeholders in the tourism sector were both surprised and concerned.

Describing the reaction, he stated, "It took all of us by surprise and all of us by shock, in fact. Even the local people are very surprised, the local stakeholders in the tourism sector are very surprised and very concerned."

The Chief Minister's comments came as police made significant breakthroughs in their investigation. They recovered a freshly purchased dao - a traditional knife - believed to have been used to kill Raghuvanshi, whose body was discovered eight days after he and his wife Sonam went missing during their honeymoon trip to Sohra in East Khasi Hills district.

"So it's something that we actually never expected. We all know that Meghalaya has always been a tourist-friendly area, and we've always ensured the safety of tourists. In the last many, many years, lakhs and lakhs of tourists have come. So this is something that is very out of the ordinary for us also," Sangma said.

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In the latest development, SP Vivek Syiem of East Khasi Hills revealed that investigators have recovered additional evidence. "We have recovered a black wheat field coat that appears to have certain stains, but we cannot confirm if they are bloodstains. Only forensic analysis can determine that. We are comparing the recovered items with available footage to verify if the coat belongs to the missing woman. However, we can only confirm that after further examination, especially since the coat is a size 3XL raincoat," Syiem said.

District Police Chief Syiem had earlier confirmed the homicide, stating that the recovered weapon appeared to have been purchased specifically for the crime. The victim's body was found in a deep gorge near Weisawdong Falls following a challenging drone-assisted recovery operation.

Expressing his condolences, the Chief Minister said: "Having said that, we are very sad, of course, that this kind of incident has happened, and my deepest condolences and respects to the family members. I know it's a great loss for them, but I want to assure the family members that we are working overtime to make sure that we get to the facts and the depth of really what happened."

"We're not very clear as of now what the sequence of events was, what happened, how it happened. We're still looking for the why for some of the individuals whose body was found. We're also concerned about many factors that are there," Sangma admitted, emphasising the complexity of the investigation.

A Special Investigation Team comprising six officers, led by SP Herbert Kharkongor, has been formed to handle the case. The team includes four Deputy Superintendents and two sub-inspectors working to determine the motive behind the killing.

The couple had checked out of their homestay at Nongriat village on May 23 after visiting the famous living root bridges. They were reported missing when their abandoned scooter was found at a roadside cafe. Raja's body was identified through a distinctive tattoo bearing his name.

Evidence recovered from the scene includes fragments of a mobile phone, a smartwatch, a woman's white shirt, and medicine strips. Notably absent were Raja's gold jewellery, wallet and phone, leading family members to suspect robbery as a motive.

The Chief Minister stated that it was not just the government and the police who were involved, but the entire society, community, and all stakeholders had become deeply engaged in the matter. "It's a matter of great importance to all of us and let me assure the family members that we will leave no stone unturned to ensure we find out the details of the facts of what really happened and also try to work as fast as possible to find the other missing person who still we have not been able to find," the Chief Minister stated.

Search operations for Sonam Raghuvanshi continue with support from 17 National Disaster Response Force personnel. The search has been hampered by extreme weather conditions, with the Sohra area recording 500mm of rainfall over just three days in late May.

Sangma stressed the importance of allowing the investigation to run its course. He said that it was very important to uncover the facts of the situation and that the truth must come out. He added that any necessary steps would be taken based on how the situation developed. "Right now, it's too early to say what's happening and how much we know and how much we don't know because there are so many missing links and factors even now as we speak."

Addressing concerns about the state's tourism reputation, Sangma said: "I will refrain from going into any conclusion as of now, but I have said in opening remarks that this is something that we have not seen in Meghalaya before. It's not something that you know is something that happens in Meghalaya. We are all shocked by what has happened."

He acknowledged that while incidents do occur, Meghalaya has maintained a good track record: "We all know that Sohra and the entire state of Meghalaya have always been known for pro-tourism activities. Yes, there are incidents once in a while that have happened, but at large, overall, we have seen that Meghalaya and its people are very receptive to tourists."

The case has raised concerns about tourist safety in Meghalaya, particularly after another incident earlier this year when Hungarian tourist Puskas Zsolt was found dead 12 days after going missing during a trek to the living root bridges.

"This should never have happened. It's a very sad and a bit unfortunate incident that has happened. Therefore, there is no doubt that this is something that we are all very concerned about," Sangma concluded, while assuring that the government would "do everything we are already doing and we will continue to do everything in our capacity to find out the truth and make sure that justice is done."

The Chief Minister also promised enhanced security measures: "We'll also ensure that number two that more measures are taken in the future so that more and more of our community people and systems are enhanced in the future, so that you know no such incidents should ever ever happen in the future."