 "Husband killed with machete, wife still missing: How Indore couple’s honeymoon in Meghalaya turned tragic")
Sonam and her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, arrived at a homestay in Nongriat village, located in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills district, on May 22.
They left the following morning.
What was meant to be their honeymoon took a dark and puzzling turn from the day they checked out.
The couple had not been seen since May 23. On Monday, Raja’s body was found in a gorge near Sohra, also known as Cherrapunji.
Sonam is still missing. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has now joined the efforts to locate her.
Police said Raja appeared to have been killed with a machete, which has shocked people across Meghalaya and beyond.
In this explainer, we look at what happened to the couple, how the husband was murdered and later found, where the wife is, and everything we know about the case so far.
Let’s break it down:
Husband murdered, wife missing: The shocking case in Meghalaya
The couple, originally from Indore in Madhya Pradesh, reached Mawlakhiat village on May 22, travelling on a rented scooter.
They left the vehicle and walked down nearly 3,000 steps to Nongriat village to see the well-known ‘Living Root Bridge’.
They spent the night at a homestay and left the next morning.
On May 24, their scooter was found abandoned near a cafe on the Shillong-Sohra route. Police were alerted, and a search was organised with the help of local residents, officials said.
Eight days after they went missing, Raja Raghuvanshi’s semi-decomposed body was found in a deep gorge close to a waterfall in Sohra.
Police confirmed the body was that of 30-year-old Raja. His wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, 27, is yet to be found, and efforts to trace her continue.
Raja’s brother identified him through a tattoo on his right hand that read ‘Raja’, according to the police.
Investigators also recovered a woman’s white shirt, a strip of medicine, part of a mobile phone’s LCD screen, and a smartwatch from the site. A murder case has been registered.
Notably, Raja came from a family involved in the transport business in Indore. He had married Sonam on May 11, and the two had travelled to Meghalaya for their honeymoon on May 20.
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How did the husband die? Who does the family suspect?
Police on Wednesday said a bloodstained machete, believed to have been used in the killing of Raja Raghuvanshi, was recovered from near the site where his body was found.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Meghalaya Police, which is probing the case, said the murder weapon, a traditional machete known locally as a ‘dao’, and the victim’s mobile phone were both found close to the gorge in Sohra.
“We have recovered the victim’s phone and also the weapon that was used to carry out the crime. The weapon was a ‘dao’,” East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem was quoted as saying by NDTV.
“It is a clear case of homicide. The person was murdered, there is no doubt about that.”
Investigators believe a raincoat recovered from the area could help further the probe. The search teams are currently using drones, sniffer dogs and professional mountaineers to trace the missing woman, Sonam.
Meanwhile, Raja Raghuvanshi’s family is pressing for a CBI investigation. They believe the murder may be linked to a robbery.
“We demand a CBI probe in this. We suspect murder due to robbery — his purse and diamond bracelet are missing. It seems Sonam Raghuvanshi has been kidnapped,” said Raja’s brother, Vipin Raghuvanshi, while speaking to reporters.
His elder brother, Sachin Raghuvanshi, added, “This is a case of murder of my brother… I have lost my brother, but I do not want to lose my sister-in-law Sonam. The government should find my sister-in-law at any cost.”
Sachin also alleged that local hotel and restaurant staff, guides, and those who rent out two-wheelers in Meghalaya should be investigated, and urged police to question them thoroughly.
Where is Sonam Raghuvanshi?
The search for Sonam Raghuvanshi continues, nearly two weeks after she and her husband went missing in Meghalaya.
“A team of 17 rescuers from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) joined the search and rescue operations at Sohra today,” district Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem told PTI.
#WATCH | Shillong: On the incident of the missing Indore couple in Meghalaya, Vivek Syiem, SP of East Khasi hills, says, "The postmortem of the body of Raja Raghuvanshi was done today. The case has been registered, and a special investigation team has been formed, headed by the… pic.twitter.com/XlcJIYpG7x
— ANI (@ANI) June 4, 2025
He said the addition of the NDRF team is expected to speed up the operation, which already involves drones, trained mountaineers, and special police units.
Meanwhile, an undated audio recording, believed to be Sonam’s last known communication, has surfaced, where she is heard speaking to her mother-in-law while trekking in a dense forest.
“We’re in a dense forest, nothing is available here. The climb is steep. I had told him (Raja) not to go, but he never listens. I’m exhausted. The food here isn’t good either. It’s hard to breathe while walking,” Sonam said in the audio clip, as per a report by India Today.
Notably, bad weather has also posed serious challenges during the search operation. Heavy rainfall and poor visibility had stalled the operation on May 30.
Landslides and flash floods were reported across the East Khasi and Jaintia Hills, killing six and injuring more than ten people.
The couple’s family had earlier announced a reward of Rs five lakh for anyone who could help trace them.
VIDEO | Indore couple goes missing in Meghalaya. Here's what Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said on this:
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 29, 2025
"In the recent few days, an unfortunate incident had happened where a newly-wed couple from the state of Madhya Pradesh had come to Meghalaya to Sohra Cherrapunji… pic.twitter.com/Y5n1rMDCQe
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has assured support to the family. He said he is “personally monitoring” the search operation and added that not just officials, but the entire local community is involved in the efforts.
Apart from the police, the NDRF, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and a Special Operations Team are also involved in the ongoing search.
With inputs from agencies
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