Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Monday said that three accused from Madhya Pradesh have been arrested. He added that a woman has “surrendered”.
Three suspects from Madhya Pradesh have been arrested and one woman has surrendered in connection with the killing of Raja Raghuvanshi, a tourist who went missing with his wife during their honeymoon in Meghalaya last month.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma announced the arrests in a post on X, saying a major breakthrough had been made within a week. “Three assailants who are from Madhya Pradesh have been arrested, female has surrendered and operation still on to catch one more assailant,” Sangma wrote. “Well done Meghalaya Police,” he added.
Raja Raghuvanshi, 29, and his wife Sonam Raghuvanshi, 25, had gone missing on May 23, just hours after checking out of a homestay in Nongriat village, East Khasi Hills. They had arrived in the state on May 20, days after their wedding on May 11. Raja’s body was recovered on June 2 from a deep gorge near a waterfall in Sohra, about 20 kilometres from where the couple was last seen.
A gold ring and chain were missing from the body, with the authorities suspecting foul play. A bloodstained machete was recovered near the scene a day later. Other personal items, including a woman’s shirt, medicine strip, smartwatch, and part of a mobile phone screen, were also found in the area.
The couple had reportedly parked their rented scooter at Mawlakhiat village before trekking down to visit the iconic living root bridges in Nongriat. The scooter was found abandoned on May 24 along the road between Shillong and Sohra.
The search for Sonam Raghuvanshi continues, but adverse terrain, heavy rain, and poor visibility have hampered efforts. Despite this, authorities say they are continuing operations to locate her.
Meanwhile, Sonam’s brother-in-law, Govind, who is in Shillong assisting with the search, accused officials of treating the case as if she were already dead.