War crisis preparedness: Mock drills conducted at several places in AP
Vijayawada: Following the central government's guidelines, the district administrations conducted civil defence mock drills at Visakhapatnam, Anantapur and Nandyal cities on Wednesday.
The security forces gave demonstrations to alert the public and be aware of how to respond in case of unexpected terrorist attacks. Civil defence, fire services, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force(NDRF), police, GVMC, revenue, civil supplies, medical department and several volunteers participated in the operation 'Operation Abhyas' held at two different venues in One Town Area- Ranibommacentre and Queen Mary Girls' High School in Visakhapatnam.
Earlier, the Fire department personnel conducted the exercise at two apartment buildings in Ranibommacentre in a situation where militants attacked them with smoke bombs.
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First Post
a day ago
- First Post
Husband killed with machete, wife still missing: How Indore couple's honeymoon in Meghalaya turned tragic
Sonam and her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, reached a homestay in Nongriat village in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district on May 22. They checked out the next day and went missing since. On Monday, Raja's body was recovered from a gorge near Sohra (also known as Cherrapunji). The wife is still missing, as the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) joins the search teams looking for her read more The couple, originally from Indore in Madhya Pradesh, reached Mawlakhiat village on May 22. Image: News18 Sonam and her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, arrived at a homestay in Nongriat village, located in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district, on May 22. They left the following morning. What was meant to be their honeymoon took a dark and puzzling turn from the day they checked out. The couple had not been seen since May 23. On Monday, Raja's body was found in a gorge near Sohra, also known as Cherrapunji. ALSO READ | Ankita Bhandari's killers get life term: How Uttarakhand receptionist was killed for refusing to 'serve' VIPs STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Sonam is still missing. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has now joined the efforts to locate her. Police said Raja appeared to have been killed with a machete, which has shocked people across Meghalaya and beyond. In this explainer, we look at what happened to the couple, how the husband was murdered and later found, where the wife is, and everything we know about the case so far. Let's break it down: Husband murdered, wife missing: The shocking case in Meghalaya The couple, originally from Indore in Madhya Pradesh, reached Mawlakhiat village on May 22, travelling on a rented scooter. They left the vehicle and walked down nearly 3,000 steps to Nongriat village to see the well-known 'Living Root Bridge'. They spent the night at a homestay and left the next morning. On May 24, their scooter was found abandoned near a cafe on the Shillong-Sohra route. Police were alerted, and a search was organised with the help of local residents, officials said. The couple had not been seen since May 23. Image: News18 Eight days after they went missing, Raja Raghuvanshi's semi-decomposed body was found in a deep gorge close to a waterfall in Sohra. Police confirmed the body was that of 30-year-old Raja. His wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, 27, is yet to be found, and efforts to trace her continue. Raja's brother identified him through a tattoo on his right hand that read 'Raja', according to the police. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Investigators also recovered a woman's white shirt, a strip of medicine, part of a mobile phone's LCD screen, and a smartwatch from the site. A murder case has been registered. Notably, Raja came from a family involved in the transport business in Indore. He had married Sonam on May 11, and the two had travelled to Meghalaya for their honeymoon on May 20. ALSO READ | Teen Pakistani influencer shot dead inside her home: Who was Sana Yousaf? How did the husband die? Who does the family suspect? Police on Wednesday said a bloodstained machete, believed to have been used in the killing of Raja Raghuvanshi, was recovered from near the site where his body was found. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Meghalaya Police, which is probing the case, said the murder weapon, a traditional machete known locally as a 'dao', and the victim's mobile phone were both found close to the gorge in Sohra. 'We have recovered the victim's phone and also the weapon that was used to carry out the crime. The weapon was a 'dao',' East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem was quoted as saying by NDTV. 'It is a clear case of homicide. The person was murdered, there is no doubt about that.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Investigators believe a raincoat recovered from the area could help further the probe. The search teams are currently using drones, sniffer dogs and professional mountaineers to trace the missing woman, Sonam. The search for Sonam Raghuvanshi continues, nearly two weeks after she and her husband went missing in Meghalaya. Image: News18 Meanwhile, Raja Raghuvanshi's family is pressing for a CBI investigation. They believe the murder may be linked to a robbery. 'We demand a CBI probe in this. We suspect murder due to robbery — his purse and diamond bracelet are missing. It seems Sonam Raghuvanshi has been kidnapped,' said Raja's brother, Vipin Raghuvanshi, while speaking to reporters. His elder brother, Sachin Raghuvanshi, added, 'This is a case of murder of my brother… I have lost my brother, but I do not want to lose my sister-in-law Sonam. The government should find my sister-in-law at any cost.' Sachin also alleged that local hotel and restaurant staff, guides, and those who rent out two-wheelers in Meghalaya should be investigated, and urged police to question them thoroughly. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD ALSO READ | 'Wedding bomb', professional rivalry: How English professor's 'revenge' that killed 2 in Odisha ended in life term for him Where is Sonam Raghuvanshi? The search for Sonam Raghuvanshi continues, nearly two weeks after she and her husband went missing in Meghalaya. '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. #WATCH | Shillong: On the incident of the missing Indore couple in Meghalaya, Vivek Syiem, SP of East Khasi hills, says, "The postmortem of the body of Raja Raghuvanshi was done today. The case has been registered, and a special investigation team has been formed, headed by the… — ANI (@ANI) June 4, 2025 He said the addition of the NDRF team is expected to speed up the operation, which already involves drones, trained mountaineers, and special police units. Meanwhile, an undated audio recording, believed to be Sonam's last known communication, has surfaced, where she is heard speaking to her mother-in-law while trekking in a dense forest. 'We're in a dense forest, nothing is available here. The climb is steep. I had told him (Raja) not to go, but he never listens. I'm exhausted. The food here isn't good either. It's hard to breathe while walking,' Sonam said in the audio clip, as per a report by India Today. Notably, bad weather has also posed serious challenges during the search operation. Heavy rainfall and poor visibility had stalled the operation on May 30. Landslides and flash floods were reported across the East Khasi and Jaintia Hills, killing six and injuring more than ten people. The couple's family had earlier announced a reward of Rs five lakh for anyone who could help trace them. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD VIDEO | Indore couple goes missing in Meghalaya. Here's what Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said on this: "In the recent few days, an unfortunate incident had happened where a newly-wed couple from the state of Madhya Pradesh had come to Meghalaya to Sohra Cherrapunji… — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 29, 2025 Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has assured support to the family. He said he is 'personally monitoring' the search operation and added that not just officials, but the entire local community is involved in the efforts. Apart from the police, the NDRF, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and a Special Operations Team are also involved in the ongoing search. With inputs from agencies
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
Meghalaya: Machete found after recovery of Indore tourist's body
Multiple agencies on Wednesday continued to comb a rugged and forested terrain in Meghlaya in search of a missing tourist from Madhya Pradesh's Indore, even as they recovered a smashed mobile phone and a machete from a gorge, where her newly-wed husband's body was found near the Weisawdong Falls on Monday. Police said there was no breakthrough in the efforts, including aerial operations, to trace Sonam Raghuvanshi, the missing tourist, after her husband Raja Raghuvanshi's body was found after a drone spotted it. The newly-wed couple, who were in Meghalaya for their honeymoon, went missing on May 23. The Meghalaya police, fire and emergency services, State Disaster Response Force, National Disaster Response Force, dog squads, and West Jaiñtia Hills Adventurers and Mountaineering Association volunteers were involved in the search operation. An investigator said the machete recovered from the gorge does not resemble the ones traditionally used in Meghalaya. 'The handle of the machete is of plastic, not wood, which is uncommon for locally crafted sharp tools,' said the investigator. Police superintendent Vivek Syiem said the machete and the mobile phone have been sent for forensic examination. 'We sent the machete... for analysis to ascertain if it was used in the killing of Raja Raghuvanshi,' Syiem said. Syiem said they have registered a homicide case and described Sonam Raghuvanshi's disappearance as inexplicable. 'It is very we found Raja's body, there is no trace at all of Sonam. She seems to have vanished, despite the vast and relentless search operation,' he said. Police suspect foul play and believe Raja Raghuvanshi's death was not an accident. A Special Investigation Team has been constituted to probe the case. The scooter the couple rented was found abandoned in Sohrarim, about 25 km from the gorge, with the key in the ignition. Heavy rainfall and strong winds over the past week hampered the operation for the couple's search. On Monday, a police drone spotted Raja Raghuvanshi's body deep in the gorge. A white shirt, medicine, part of a phone screen, and a smart watch were also recovered from the scene. The body was identified by a tattoo on his right hand reading 'Raja'. Executive magistrate Adiel R Kynta conducted an on-site inquest in the presence of independent witnesses. Chief minister Conrad K Sangma has been monitoring the investigation and search operations. Shankar Lalwani, the member of Parliament from Indore, and Rajya Sabha member Sumer Singh Solanki, who visited Shillong and met state officials, expressed concern over the slow progress in resolving the case. Raja Raghuvanshi's relatives were awaiting his post-mortem at Shillong's North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences, after which his body will be taken to Indore.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Indore couple missing mystery deepens in Meghalaya: Husband found dead without valuables, wife still missing
NDRF joins efforts, drones and SIT deployed Clues found near body; family demands CBI probe Live Events Rain stalls search, causes damage in region Scooter found abandoned; earlier similar incident reported MPs review situation (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel A day after the body of an Indore man was found in a gorge in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) joined the ongoing search for his missing wife on Tuesday, police said. Raja Raghuvanshi (29) and his wife Sonam were reported missing on May 23, shortly after they checked out from a homestay at Nongriat village. His body was found on Monday, nearly 20 km from where they had last couple, who had arrived in Mawlakhiat village on May 22, rented a scooter before trekking 3,000 steps to visit the living root bridges at Nongriat. They spent the night there and left the homestay the next morning."A team of 17 rescuers from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) joined the search and rescue operations at Sohra today," East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem told added that drones, mountaineers, and special police units are already assisting in the operation. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has also been formed to probe the case. A homicide case has been to police, Raja's body was identified by his brother, who recognised a tattoo on his right hand that read 'Raja.' Police also recovered a woman's white shirt, a medicine strip, part of an LCD screen, and a smartwatch from the brother, present at the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences during the post-mortem, called for a deeper investigation."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 weather has hampered the search efforts. 'Heavy rainfall and low visibility had on May 30 stalled the search and rescue operations,' police said. Sohra recorded about 500 mm of rainfall between May 29 and 31, matching the annual rainfall of Mysore, according to a Met department and flash floods in the East Khasi and Jaintia Hills have disrupted traffic and caused six deaths and over 10 began their search on May 24 after the couple's scooter was found abandoned near a café on the Shillong-Sohra road. Local villagers helped with initial search this year, a Hungarian tourist, Puskas Zsolt, also went missing after trekking to the same living root bridges. His body was found 12 days later. Police ruled out foul play in that case, stating he died from a MPs Shankar Lalwani and Sumer Singh Solanki reviewed the rescue operations with Meghalaya's Director General of Police I Nongrang and Chief Secretary DP Wahlang. They expressed satisfaction with the efforts being made.
