Guwahati: Shillong’s East Khasi Hills police have formally registered a homicide case following the recovery of the body of missing Indore tourist Raja Raghuvanshi on Monday.
Sources indicate that the authority has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe his death, as police do not rule out foul play.
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However, the whereabouts of Raja’s wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, who went missing with him on May 23, remain unknown.
Notably, the newlywed couple had reportedly left for the Sohra (Cherrapunjee) area on a hired two-wheeler from Shillong when they vanished.
East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police, Vivek Syiem, announced the formation of the SIT shortly after Govind Raghuvanshi, the deceased’s brother, positively identified the decomposed body.
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The SP stated that a distinctive tattoo bearing the name “Raja” on the right hand made the identification possible.
Reports indicate that the Police discovered the body at 11:48 AM via a drone search in a deep gorge below the Wei Sawdong falls at the Riat Arliang parking lot in Sohra.
Following the discovery, the police recovered several items from the scene, including a woman’s white shirt, a strip of Pentra 40 tablets, part of an LCD screen from a Vivo mobile phone, and a smartwatch worn by the deceased.
SP Syiem added, “We are registering a case of murder. The police are actively investigating, and we are not ruling out any possibilities, including foul play, at this stage.”
Reports asserted that the recovery followed an extensive search operation involving the police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Special Operations Team (SOT), and members of the West Jaintia Hills District Adventure Mountaineering Club.
Because the terrain was challenging, steep, and inaccessible, authorities brought the body to the parking lot for a magisterial inquest. Executive Magistrate Adiel R. Kyntan from Sohra conducted the inquest with independent local witnesses present.
Later the authority transported the body to NEIGRIHMS, Shillong, for post-mortem examination.
Furthermore, SP Syiem acknowledged the tireless efforts of the search teams, who worked under difficult weather conditions. He reiterated that the search for Sonam Raghuvanshi is ongoing.
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