Honeymoon murder: Meghalaya govt felicitates tourist guide, 35 others for assisting police in probe

Shillong: The Meghalaya government on Thursday felicitated a tourist guide and 35 others for helping the state police trace the body of Raja Raghuvanshi, who was allegedly killed by his wife Sonam and her four aides during their honeymoon in the state, and in the investigation process.

State minister Paul Lyngdoh distributed cash rewards of Rs 5.4 lakh to travel guide Albert Pde and 35 others, including several mountaineers, and tour facilitators, for actively assisting the police in search operations during a preliminary investigation into the case.

Raghuvanshi and his wife went missing while vacationing in Sohra area in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills district on May 23. His body was found in a gorge on June 2, while a search for his wife was conducted.

Pde had said he saw the couple accompanied by the three men as they were climbing over 3,000 steps from Nongriat to Mawlakhiat around 10 am on May 23. The tourist guide had claimed that he identified one of the suspects from the photos provided by the police.

Addressing the event, Lyngdoh, the state tourism minister, urged visitors to come to Meghalaya, claiming that "unlawful activities would not be tolerated".

He said the government is planning to install CCTV cameras in key tourist spots.

Sonam, aged 24, was arrested from Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh, while her aides were apprehended from Indore in Madhya Pradesh for their alleged role in conspiring and killing Raja Raghuvanshi.

The woman was brought here on Tuesday midnight, while the other accused reached on Wednesday on transit remand, a senior officer said.

A court in Shillong on Wednesday sent Sonam and her four aides to eight-day police custody, an official said.