In a significant development, the East Khasi Hills police have initiated a homicide investigation following the discovery of the body of Raja Raghuvanshi, a tourist from Indore who had been missing. The police have formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to examine the circumstances surrounding Raja’s death. His wife, Sonam, remains unaccounted for. The couple went missing on May 23 after renting a two-wheeler and traveling to the Sohra region from Shillong.
The announcement regarding the SIT was made by Vivek Syiem, the Superintendent of Police for East Khasi Hills, shortly after Raja’s brother, Govind Raghuvanshi, identified the decomposed body based on a distinctive tattoo on the deceased’s right hand that reads “Raja.” Among the items recovered from the scene were a white women’s shirt, Pentra 40 tablets, a fragment of an LCD screen from a Vivo mobile phone, and the smartwatch worn by Raja.
The body was located by a police drone at 11:48 AM in a deep gorge beneath the Wei Sawdong falls, specifically at the Riat Arliang parking lot. “A case of murder is being registered,” Syiem remarked, noting that the investigation is in full swing and that all possibilities, including foul play, are being considered.
The discovery of the body followed an extensive search operation involving the police, the State Disaster Response Force, and members of the West Jaintia Hills District Adventure Mountaineering Club. Due to the region’s steep and difficult terrain, the body was transported to the parking lot for a magisterial inquiry conducted by Executive Magistrate Adiel R Kyntan from Sohra, accompanied by independent local witnesses. Subsequently, the body was sent to NEIGRIHMS in Shillong for a post-mortem examination.
Syiem confirmed that Sonam’s whereabouts remain unknown and commended the relentless efforts of the search teams, who operated under challenging weather conditions. The police plan to provide further updates as the investigation continues.
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2025/06/03/husbands-body-recovered-ekh-police-register-homicide-case/
Category: MEGHALAYA
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Publish Date: 2025-06-03 02:01:00
