The discovery of Raja Raghuvanshi’s body in a remote Meghalaya gorge, alongside a newly purchased machete, has led police to confirm a homicide in the case of the missing honeymooners. While Raja’s valuables are gone, his wife Sonam’s disappearance fuels an urgent search amidst challenging weather conditions.
BY PC Bureau
Police in Meghalaya have confirmed the murder of 29-year-old Indore tourist Raja Raghuvanshi, whose body was discovered in a deep gorge near Weisawdong Falls in Sohra (Cherrapunji) on May 31, 2025. The discovery came eight days after he and his 27-year-old wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, went missing during their honeymoon.
The couple, married for just three months, was last seen on May 23 after checking out of their homestay in Nongriat village, a popular base for visiting Meghalaya’s iconic living root bridges. Investigators recovered a freshly purchased dao—a traditional machete—believed to be the murder weapon.
“There is no question about it, it is a case of homicide,” stated Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem, quoted by Northeast Live. He noted that the dao appeared to have been recently bought, possibly with the intent to commit the crime. The couple’s disappearance was reported on May 24 after their rented scooter was found abandoned near a roadside café along the Sohra-Dawki highway, roughly 10 km from Nongriat. Local residents had alerted authorities after noticing the scooter unattended for several hours.
Raja’s body was identified through a distinctive tattoo bearing his name on his forearm. Key evidence recovered at the scene includes fragments of a shattered mobile phone, a smartwatch, a woman’s white shirt, and medicine strips, suggesting Sonam was likely present during the attack. However, Raja’s gold jewelry, wallet, and phone were missing, prompting suspicions of robbery as a motive. Sonam remains missing, and her whereabouts are unknown, intensifying concerns about her safety.
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Chilling Honeymoon Mystery Unfolds in Meghalaya!
A blissful honeymoon turned deadly: 29-year-old Raja Raghuvanshi from Indore was brutally killed with a machete, his body found in a Meghalaya gorge after 8 days. His wife, Sonam, 27, is still missing as NDRF… pic.twitter.com/Qjc1sjzTnB
— UnreadWhy (@TheUnreadWhy) June 4, 2025
The recovery operation faced significant challenges due to extreme weather conditions in Sohra, one of India’s wettest regions. The area recorded 500mm of rainfall over three days—equivalent to Mysore’s average annual rainfall—severely hampering search efforts. A drone-assisted operation by the Meghalaya Police and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) located Raja’s body in the gorge on May 31. Seventeen National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel, equipped with rappelling gear and thermal imaging, continue to search the rugged terrain for Sonam, focusing on the gorge and surrounding forests.
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A Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by Superintendent of Police Herbert Kharkongor and comprising six officers, has been formed to investigate potential motives, including robbery, personal vendetta, or a targeted attack. The post-mortem report, expected within 48 hours, will clarify whether Raja was killed before or after being thrown into the gorge. Preliminary findings suggest multiple sharp-force injuries consistent with a machete attack, though forensic experts are yet to confirm the sequence of events.
The case has reignited concerns about tourist safety in Meghalaya, a state known for its scenic beauty and adventure tourism. Earlier this year, 34-year-old Hungarian traveler Puskas Zsolt was found dead on January 15, 2025, 12 days after vanishing during a solo trek to the living root bridges in Nongriat. His death, attributed to a fall in the same region, was ruled accidental, but local authorities faced criticism for delayed response and inadequate safety measures. Tourism officials have since issued advisories urging visitors to avoid isolated areas without guides and to register with local police stations before trekking.
The Meghalaya government has promised swift action, with Chief Minister Conrad Sangma assuring the public that “all resources are being deployed to locate Sonam and bring the perpetrators to justice.” Community leaders in Nongriat have also called for increased police patrolling and the installation of CCTV cameras at key tourist spots to prevent future incidents.
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