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Indore tourist’s body found in Meghalaya gorge; search for wife continues
The breakthrough came at 11:48 am when a drone operated by the Meghalaya Police spotted the body in the gorge
Shillong: After eight days of intensive efforts under trying conditions, the body of Raja Raghuvanshi — one of the two missing tourists from Indore, Madhya Pradesh, was recovered on Monday from a deep gorge below the Wei Sawdong Falls parking lot at Riat Arliang, Sohra, in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills district. It is located about 50 km from the state capital Shillong.
The breakthrough came at 11:48 am when a drone operated by the Meghalaya Police spotted the body in the gorge. Owing to the extremely steep and treacherous terrain, the body was retrieved with great difficulty by a joint team comprising the Meghalaya Police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Special Operations Team (SOT), and the West Jaiñtia Hills District Adventure Mountaineering Club.
The search operations had faced considerable setbacks over the past week due to incessant rainfall and strong winds in the region, which not only reduced visibility but also increased the risk for rescue personnel operating in the difficult terrain.
After the recovery, the body was brought up to the Wei Sawdong parking lot. A magisterial inquest was conducted at the site by Executive Magistrate Adiel R. Kynta between 3.30 pm and 4 pm, in the presence of independent witnesses from the locality. The deceased was positively identified by relatives based on a distinct tattoo on his right hand bearing the name “Raja”.
Investigators seized several items from the recovery site, including a woman’s white shirt, a strip of Pentra 40 (medication), part of an LCD screen from what is believed to be a Vivo smartphone, and a smartwatch that remained strapped to Raja’s wrist.
The body has since been transported to NEIGRIHMS, Shillong, for a post-mortem examination to determine the precise cause of death.
East Khasi Hills superintendent of police, Vivek Syiem, confirmed that a case of murder is being registered. “Given the circumstances and recovery of evidence at the scene, we are treating this as a case of suspected homicide. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) is being constituted to lead a thorough investigation,” he said.
The whereabouts of Raja’s wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, remain unknown as of Monday evening. The couple, who got married recently, had come to Meghalaya for a holiday when they went missing on May 23. Their rented scooter was found abandoned near Golden Pines Dhaba in Sohrarim.
The case received widespread public and political attention, with growing pressure on the Meghalaya government to resolve the matter urgently. Chief minister Conrad K. Sangma has been personally monitoring developments and remains in close coordination with Madhya Pradesh chief minister Dr. Mohan Yadav. A delegation from Indore, including MP Shankar Lalwani and Rajya Sabha MP Sumer Singh Solanki, visited Meghalaya last week to follow up on the investigation and convey the concerns of the victims’ family.
Multiple teams have been deployed on the ground, and search efforts for Sonam continue unabated. Authorities have reiterated their commitment to leaving no stone unturned and urged members of the public to come forward with any information that could assist the investigation.
