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Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Indore tourist's body located using drone after 8-day search; wife still missing
SHILLONG: After an eight-day search, police on Monday recovered the body of Raja Raghuvanshi, a tourist from Indore who had gone missing since May 23 in Meghalaya's Sohra (Cherrapunjee) area. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The East Khasi Hills district police located the body using drone surveillance in a deep gorge below the Weisawdong Parking Lot at Riat Arliang. Mark A Challam, additional deputy commissioner (ADC) of Sohra civil sub-division, in a statement said a police drone spotted the body as part of a joint search operation involving the police department, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), special operations team, and the West Jaintia Hills District Adventure Mountaineering Club. Police teams retrieved the body and transported it to Weisawdong Parking Lot, where a magisterial inquest was conducted by executive magistrate Adiel R Kyntan. ADC: Case of murder registered Relatives identified Raghuvanshi through a distinctive tattoo on his right hand bearing the name 'Raja', the ADC said. Recovered from the scene were a woman's white shirt, a strip of Pentra 40 medication, a damaged LCD screen from a mobile phone, and a smartwatch on the deceased's wrist. Authorities sent the body to the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences in Shillong for a post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death. Police said all possibilities, including foul play, remain open. "The discovery was made possible through the relentless efforts of police teams, who conducted extensive searches despite difficult weather conditions," said ADC said, adding that a case of murder is now being registered, and a SIT will probe the incident. Meanwhile, search operations continue for Raja's wife, Sonam Raghuvansh, amid harsh weather and treacherous terrain.
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Maharashtra govt clears Rs 49 crore disaster aid; Vidarbha gets Rs 15 crore for post-disaster relief
Nagpur: In a major step towards expediting post-disaster relief, the Maharashtra govt approved Rs 49 crore to support victims of house collapses and damages caused by natural disasters. Of this, Vidarbha's Nagpur and Amravati divisions will receive Rs 10 crore and 5 crore respectively, enabling immediate assistance for house repairs and reconstruction. The Government Resolution (GR) of May 30, issued under the revenue and forest department, aims to speed up financial relief in the aftermath of natural calamities — cutting down the long wait for victims that typically follows the Panchnama process. The funds are allocated in accordance with the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) norms and will be disbursed via the BEAMS system. Apart from Vidarbha, significant allocations have also been made to other regions: Rs 12 crore each to Pune and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar divisions, Rs 5 crore to Konkan division, and Rs 5 crore to Nashik division. This move brings significant relief to disaster-prone parts of Vidarbha, particularly rural pockets where homes are often ill-equipped to withstand floods. Under the new mechanism, divisional commissioners will directly receive funds and are empowered to sanction aid without having to wait for centralised approval. This decentralisation is expected to improve efficiency and reduce bottlenecks. Funds will be tracked via the National Disaster Management Information System (NDMIS), ensuring transparency. Each division is required to update expenditure data monthly and submit utilisation certificates to the Accountant General and the state govt. For Vidarbha, where monsoons trigger localised flooding and structural damage in low-income settlements, the approved funds will help rebuild damaged homes before the next seasonal wave hits. Sources in the department said preparations are nearly complete for the upcoming monsoon to enable rapid deployment of aid as soon as severe weather strikes. This urgency is heightened by the early onset of the monsoon this year. Notably, Nagpur — which usually sees temperatures soaring above 45°C during this period — experienced heavy rains during Nautapa, an unusual shift that has put authorities on high alert. This decision was cleared following an informal agreement from the finance department dated May 30, 2025. Division — Allotment Nagpur — 10 Cr Amravati — 5 Cr Pune — 12 Cr Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar — 12 Cr Konkan — 5 Cr Nashik — 5 Cr
Hindustan Times
14 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Indore tourist's body found in Meghalaya gorge; search for wife continues
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.
India Today
19 hours ago
- Climate
- India Today
PM Modi likely to skip G7 summit in Canada amid strained ties: Sources
50:19 Incessant rains have triggered floods and landslides across North-East India. Over 3 lakh people in 19 Assam districts are affected, with rivers breaching danger levels. Sikkim's Teesta river has caused bridge collapses. The Indian Air Force rescued 14 people from Arunachal's Bomje river as NDRF, SDRF, and Army-led rescue efforts continue amid more rain alerts.
News18
a day ago
- News18
10 Days On, No Trace Of Missing Indore Couple In Meghalaya; Search Continues
Last Updated: The Meghalaya government is mulling to call in paramilitary forces to assist in the search for the Madhya Pradesh couple who went missing in the state while honeymooning. Ten days have passed since newlywed couple from Indore – Raja Raghuwanshi (30) and Sonam Raghuwanshi (27), who came to rain-soaked hills of Sohra (Cherrapunji) for their honeymoon – went missing, and still there is no sign of them. The search operation for them is still underway as about 50 individuals consisting of police personnel, SDRF teams as well as local villagers are searching in the dangerous cliffs and forests for the newlywed couple near Shillong, the officials said. In addition, K9 sniffer dogs and drones have been deployed to locate them in difficult to reach areas. Meanwhile, the Meghalaya government is mulling to call in paramilitary forces to assist in the search for the missing couple. 'We are contemplating to call in rescuers from paramilitary forces to trace the couple," East Khasi Hills SP Vivek Syiem told news agency PTI. The family has also announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for anyone who comes up with information about their whereabouts. How The Couple Went Missing? Raja was a 30-year-old transport businessman, who had married Sonam merely weeks ago. The duo embarked on their honeymoon on May 20, where Guwahati was their first stop. The couple arrived in Mawlakhiat village on May 22 on a rented scooter. They trekked over 3,000 steps down the gorge to visit the famous living root bridges in Nongriat village, where they stayed the night, according to police. On May 23, the family last heard from them. The family members said that the mobile phones of the couple were switched off after their last conversation. The fear turned into panic when the couple's rented scooter was found abandoned near Osara Hills in Sohra Rim — a far-off area known to be dangerous and linked to criminal activity. Two of their bags were later found partly hidden in bushes inside a nearby gorge on last week. The places where their scooter, bags, and last tea stop were found are far apart, making the situation even more puzzling. The authorities are now narrowing down their search near a gorge close to the Root Bridge, nearly 50 km from the capital city of Meghalaya. Madhya Pradesh MPs Shankar Lalwani and Sumer Singh Solanki reviewed the rescue operations with DGP I Nongrang and Chief Secretary DP Wahlang, and expressed satisfaction with the efforts. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has assured that the state machinery is doing everything to trace the couple and he is personally monitoring the operation. However, due to heavy rains across the North Eastern Region and more so in Sohra for the entire past week has made it difficult for teams to move forward or go deeper into forests, near streams and various trekking routes. Earlier this year, Hungarian tourist Puskas Zsolt went missing soon after he started his trek to the living roots bridge. His body was found dead 12 days later. Medical reports indicated that he died due to a fall. The state government has issued a slew of safety advisories for tourists in view of the bad weather conditions. The Shillong-Dawki road, where construction work is underway, has temporarily been closed. Vehicular movement was affected across the region, with landslides and flash floods being reported from many places. (With inputs from agencies)
