Meghalaya: Rescue teams spot body suspected to be of missing Indore tourist

Shillong, Jun 2 (PTI) Drones operated by rescue teams on Monday spotted a decomposed body, suspected to be of Raja Raghuvanshi from Indore, who had gone missing along with his wife on May 23 in Sohra area of Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills, police said.

Another team of rescuers are on their way to the spot located on a steep gorge in Sohra to recover the body, they said.

"A team of rescuers using drones stumbled upon a male body near Weisawdong falls in Sohra area. We suspect it to be of Raja Raghuvanshi," a senior police officer told PTI.

Once the body is retrieved, the police will call family members for identification, he said.

Raghuvanshi and his wife Sonam had gone missing on May 23 while vacationing in Meghalaya, and efforts to locate them have been underway since then, the officer said.

“The search operation is on. We are planning to call in paramilitary forces to assist in the rescue efforts,” he said.

Heavy rainfall, landslides and low visibility have been major challenges for the rescue teams in the last few days, he said.

Madhya Pradesh MPs Shankar Lalwani and Sumer Singh Solanki had earlier reviewed the rescue operations with DGP I Nongrang and Chief Secretary D P Wahlang.

The couple had arrived in Mawlakhiat village on May 22 on a rented scooter. They trekked over 3,000 steps down a gorge to visit the famous 'living roots' bridges in Nongriat village, where they stayed the night in a homestay, according to police.

On May 24, their scooter was found abandoned outside a cafe along the road from Shillong to Sohra.