Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The Meghalaya Police recovered a dao—a sharp-edged weapon used to murder Raja Raghuvanshi—as well as his mobile phone, while the search operation for his missing wife continues, an official said on Tuesday.
There is speculation that a dispute over coffee quality may have escalated into the murder, as the family suspects an altercation between the couple and local coffee café vendors. The police are trying to connect the dots to identify the motive behind this sensational murder.
East Khasi Hills District Police Chief Vivek Syiem was quoted as telling local reporters, “We have recovered a dao. It’s a new dao, and it appears to have been used solely for this purpose.”
Confirming it as a clear case of homicide, he added, “The person (Raja) was murdered—there is no doubt about it. We have registered a case of murder and destruction of evidence. We are investigating the motive.”
The motive behind the murder remains unclear. “We need to examine more evidence to determine whether it was a case of robbery, vendetta, hatred, or a personal issue between the accused and the victims,” Syiem said.
He further stated that the police are awaiting the post-mortem report to determine whether Raja died before or after being thrown into the gorge. “Once we receive the post-mortem report, we will be able to ascertain the nature of the injuries and whether they were fatal,” he added.
Meanwhile, the search and rescue operation for Raja’s wife, Sonam, is ongoing. Police plan to extend the search to adjoining areas, covering a radius of 1–2 kilometres from where Raja’s body was discovered.
Family dissatisfied with police probe
On the other hand, Raja’s family has expressed dissatisfaction with the Meghalaya Police’s investigation and demanded that a central agency take over the probe. His brother raised suspicions about local hotel and restaurant staff in connection with the alleged murder and Sonam’s disappearance, urging strict interrogation of those potentially involved.
Raja's elder brother Sachin Raghuvanshi told reporters, “My brother has been killed, and we suspect the involvement of hotel staff, local guides and scooter rental agents. They must be thoroughly interrogated. I have only one demand from the government—that the mystery be unravelled through a CBI investigation.”
“I have lost my brother, but I do not want to lose my sister-in-law Sonam. The government must find her at any cost. I have been requesting from the beginning that the Army’s help be sought in the search operation,” he added.
Murder case registered
The Meghalaya Police have registered a case of murder and constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case. A magistrate has also been appointed to monitor the investigation's progress.
East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police (City), Herbert Pyniaid Kharkongor, will lead the SIT. He will be assisted by Sub-Divisional Police Officer (Sohra) Pynhun Syiem and other senior officials, including the Deputy Superintendent of Police (Crime), DSP (Operations), the Officer-in-Charge of Sohra Police Station, and a Sub-Inspector.
Couple got married on May 11
Transport businessman Raja Raghuvanshi (29) and his wife Sonam went missing on May 23 while on their honeymoon in Sohra (Cherrapunji), East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya. The couple had gotten married on May 11 and reached Meghalaya on May 22 after visiting Bengaluru and the Maa Kamakhya temple in Guwahati, Assam.
Raja’s body was found in a deep gorge near Weisawdong Falls in Sohra on June 2—eleven days after the couple went missing—while the search for Sonam continues.
The couple went missing on May 23, just hours after checking out of a guest house in Nongriat village, where they had visited the famed Double Decker Root Bridge. Nongriat is located about 25 km from where Raja’s body was found. Their scooter was later found abandoned at a café on the road from Shillong to Sohra on May 24. The police were subsequently informed, and a search operation was initiated.
