Meghalaya: NDRF joins search for missing Indore woman day after husband found dead

NDRF personnel on Tuesday joined the search for a missing tourist from Indore, a day after her husband's body was found in a gorge in Sohra area of Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district, police said.

Raja Raghuvanshi (29) and his wife Sonam had gone missing on May 23, hours after they checked out of a homestay at Nongriat village, 20 km from where his body was found on Monday.

"A team of 17 rescuers from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) joined the search and rescue operations at Sohra today," district Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem told PTI.

He said NDRF will expedite the search even as rescuers are already using drones, mountaineers and special police forces to search for the woman.

Raja's brother identified his body through a distinctive tattoo on the deceased's right hand, which read 'Raja', the officer said.

A woman's white shirt, a strip of medicine, a part of the LCD screen of a mobile phone and a smartwatch were also seized at the spot, he said, adding that a homicide case was registered.

At the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences, where post-mortem examination was being conducted, Raja's brother demanded a thorough inquiry into the disappearance of the couple.

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"Since my brother's gold rings, a golden chain and his wallet were missing, we suspect it to be a murder. We urge the authorities to let the Central Bureau of Investigation probe the matter," he said.

The SP, however, said a murder case has already been registered and a special investigation team (SIT) formed to probe the matter.

Extremely heavy rainfall and low visibility on May 30 stalled the search and rescue operations, which was launched by the police on May 24.

Sohra area recorded the maximum amount of rainfall in the state on May 29, 30 and 31, recording around 500 mm of rainfall, equalling the annual rainfall record of Mysore, a Met official told PTI.

Movement of traffic was also affected across the eastern Khasi and Jaintia Hills region with many places reporting landslides and flash floods that killed six persons and left over 10 people injured.

The couple, hailing from Indore in Madhya Pradesh, arrived at Mawlakhiat village on May 22 on a rented scooter. They parked their scooter and trekked 3,000 steps down the gorge to visit the famous living rootbridges at Nongriat village, where they stayed the night and left the homestay the following morning.

On May 24, their scooter was found abandoned at a cafe along the road from Shillong to Sohra following which the police were informed and by Sunday, the initial search operation was planned with the help of the local villagers, police said.

Indore MPs -- Shankar Lalwani and Sumer Singh Solanki -- had held reviews of the rescue operations with Director General of Police I Nongrang and Chief Secretary DP Wahlang, expressing satisfaction over the efforts of the rescue teams.

Earlier this year, a Hungarian tourist -- Puskas Zsolt -- went missing soon after he started his trek to the living rootbridge, and he was found dead 12 days later.

While the police have ruled out any foul play in his death, medical reports indicated he died due to a fall.