Indore couple missing in Meghalaya's 'unsafe region'; Family announces Rs 5 lakh reward, CM provides a update

Time of India

3 days ago

Missing after tea break in remote village
Search under way in rain-hit terrain
Live Events
State governments coordinate efforts
Concerns raised over tourist safety
Earlier incident raises safety questions
(You can now subscribe to our
(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel
A newly married couple from Indore has been missing since May 24 while on a honeymoon trip in Meghalaya. Raja Raghuwanshi, 30, and Sonam Raghuwanshi, 27, were last in contact with their family on May 23. Their abandoned rented scooter was later found near Osara Hills in Sohra Rim, a region considered unsafe. The couple's family has announced a reward of ₹5 lakh for any information about their whereabouts, a TOI report stated.The couple had travelled from Indore to Guwahati on May 20 and then moved to Shillong. After visiting the Double Decker Living Root Bridge in Nongriat village, they were seen having tea at a nearby kiosk the next morning. That was the last confirmed sighting.'We were in touch with them until that day. After that, their phones were switched off. We knew something was wrong,' said Govind Raghuwanshi, Sonam's brother.Govind suspects the couple may have been attacked. 'It takes at least four to five hours to descend towards Nongriat village and people usually stay there for the night before returning. We found out that they had returned and had also had tea at a kiosk on the way after which they went missing,' he said.The abandoned scooter was discovered near Sohra Rim, about 15 km from Sohra town. Two bags were later recovered from a nearby gorge. A search team of over 50 people, including police, local villagers and the village defence party, has been combing the area.'All evidence so far points to foul play,' said Indore MP Shankar Lalwani, who met with Meghalaya's Director General of Police Idashisha Nongrang. 'This wasn't an accident. The couple had four phones, including two iPhones — all are switched off. They were also wearing jewellery.'Govind and Raja's brother Vipin have travelled to Shillong to assist in the search. 'We will not stop until we find them,' Govind said.Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav spoke with Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Tuesday and requested urgent action. On Thursday, Sangma said in a video message that the police, district administration, and local community were involved in round-the-clock search operations.'Our police authority, district police led by Superintendent of Police and local administration, along with the entire local community, are conducting a massive search operation round-the-clock basis to find out and rescue the couple. I am personally monitoring the search and rescue efforts constantly,' Sangma said.He added that continuous rain and steep, slippery terrain have made the search more difficult. 'We treat the tourists as our family members. People of the Sohra-Cherrapunji areas also treated the tourists as their family members. Every single villager is now involved in the search operation,' Sangma said.The police said the couple had hired a two-wheeler to explore the area before their disappearance. All their mobile phones have remained switched off since May 24 night.Govind expressed concern over the gaps in the timeline and locations. 'There's a big gap in the timeline. Something happened between those points. Maybe they were followed. Maybe they were robbed,' he said.In April, police had recovered the body of a Hungarian tourist, Zsolt Puskas, from a forest in Ramdait village in East Khasi Hills. He had been missing since March 29. Officials suspected he may have fallen from a hilltop. His case also involved a large-scale search with the help of local villagers.The search for Raja and Sonam Raghuwanshi is continuing in the Sohra-Cherrapunji region, around 50 km from Shillong.