• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

Indore Missing Couple: The search for Sonam Raghuvanshi has now entered the 11th day as CCTV footage of the missing Indore couple in Meghalaya surfaced showing the duo checking into a Shillong hotel on May 22. The visuals, although blurry, are now central to the ongoing investigation, which took a turn after the husband's body was found in a gorge last week.

The couple, Raja Raghuvanshi and his wife Sonam, were on a holiday when they went missing. The video footage confirms their presence at the hotel just a day before they lost contact with their families on May 23. That same day, the couple had hired a scooter, which was later found abandoned at Sohrarim, about 25 km from where Raja’s body was eventually located.

Sonam's brother Govid, who has been looking for his sister for two weeks, believes that she was taken across the border into Bangladesh.

"I won't leave Meghalaya until she is found. My sister is alive. She has been abducted. I want to request the Meghalaya CM to stop looking for a dead body," Govid told The Times Of India.

"It has already been a fortnight and all the agencies have searched all the forests and valleys here. Sonam's bag, mobile and other items are missing. Police say the last location of both mobiles were Double Decker bridge, but we found out that Raja had put out a social media post before he was killed and the last location of his phone was where his body was found," said Govind. 

Search operations continued on Thursday, however there is still no trace of Sonam.

ALSO READ: Hyderabad Traffic Advisory: Tarnaka Junction Underpass Shut For Vehicular Movement From Today; Check Full Details

Raja’s body was found on June 2 in a deep gorge near Cherrapunji, discovered using drone assistance. Alongside the body, police recovered his phone and a machete, believed to be the murder weapon. Sonam remains untraceable.

East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem confirmed it to be a clear case of homicide. A murder case has been registered and a Special Investigation Team (SIT is currently handling the probe. National and state disaster response teams, along with a special operations unit, are also involved in the search for Sonam.

ALSO READ: Assam Floods: Several Train Services Disrupted Due To Inclement Weather | Top Updates

Back in Indore, Raja’s family has demanded a CBI investigation, questioning how he was found so far from the abandoned scooter. “We believe he was abducted and taken to the murder spot,” said Vipin Raghuvanshi, Raja’s brother.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said, "One person has been murdered and another is missing. This is a very unfortunate incident. We have never seen such an incident before in Meghalaya... This is a very important case for us and we will take all necessary steps to arrest those behind this incident."