Meghalaya honeymoon murder: Minister threatens defamation case against kin of Raja, Sonam Raghuvanshi

As investigation continues into the sensational Meghalaya honeymoon murder case involving newly married couple Sonam and Raja Raghuvanshi, a minister from Meghalaya has warned the couple's families against maligning the state and its people.

Minister Alexander Laloo Hek on Tuesday demanded that the families of both Sonam and Raja should apologise for tarnishing the image of the state and its people, and warned that he would file a defamation case if they did not comply with this demand.

Speaking with news agency ANI, Hek said, "Now we are seeking an apology from Sonam and Raja Raghuvanshi's families for tarnishing the image of Meghalaya and its people. We will file a case of defamation if they don't comply."

"...people of Meghalaya are peace-loving citizens. We always welcome tourists coming to Meghalaya...They defamed my state, Meghalaya Police, Government of Meghalaya and the public of the state. So, I was hurt...How will we tolerate such nonsense of tarnishing or maligning the image of Meghalaya?," the minister said.

"The accused will be brought here since the incident took place in the state. We do not have any issue if they want to hand over the case to the state police, central police or the probe agency, but the truth has already prevailed," the minister added.

He also thanked the Meghalaya police for its prompt breakthroughs in the case, saying, "We are thankful to the Meghalaya police for the breakthroughs in the ongoing investigation of the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case."

Hek wasn't the only one who felt offended, with Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma also saying that the brutal crime was being used to vilify the state and the entire Northeast region.

"When this narrative was created, it was about branding an entire state, an entire community, and the region as well. Responsible agencies made irresponsible statements," Sangma said, thanking the Meghalaya police for acting professionally and carrying out its investigation under tremendous pressure.

The nefarious nature of the murder case and the amount of alleged plotting involved has left people shocked.

To briefly sum the case up, newly married couple Raja and Sonam, both residents of Indore in Madhya Pradesh, went missing during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, with the couple last being seen on May 23.

The search for the missing couple initially yielded no results, but on June 2, Raja's body was discovered in a gorge at Sohrarim near Cherrapunji. In the following days, the Meghalaya police also found a bloody machete, believed to have been used in the murder, as well as a raincoat believed to have belonged to the couple.

Days after the discovery of Raja's body, Sonam was found in Ghazipur, where she reuinted with her alleged lover and co-conspirator Raj Kushwaha.

The prime suspect in Raja's murder, Sonam is believed to have orchestrated the same with three accomplices, who have since been arrested.

With the Meghalaya Police now in the process of reconstructing the events leading up to the crime, all four of the accused is slated to be brought to Shillong for further investigation.