Indore tourist Raja Raghuvanshi was killed with machete, confirm Meghalaya Police; wife still missing

Police in Meghalaya have confirmed the murder of 29-year-old Indore tourist Raja Raghuvanshi, whose body was found in a deep gorge near Weisawdong Falls, eight days after he and his wife, Sonam, went missing during their honeymoon. Investigators have recovered a freshly purchased dao - a traditional machete - believed to be the murder weapon, India Today NE reported.

District Police Chief Vivek Syiem was quoted by Northeast Live, "There is no question about it, it is a case of homicide,” adding that the weapon appeared to have been bought specifically for the crime. The couple had checked out of their Nongriat village homestay on May 23 after visiting the famed living root bridges. Their disappearance was reported the next day when their abandoned scooter was found near a roadside café.

Raja’s body was identified through a tattoo bearing his name. Key evidence recovered includes fragments of a mobile phone, a smartwatch, a woman’s white shirt and medicine strips, suggesting Sonam may have been present during the attack. However, Raja’s gold jewellery, wallet and phone were missing, raising suspicions of robbery.

The absence of Raja’s gold jewellery, wallet and phone has led family members to suspect robbery as a motive. His brother has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe, citing the remote area’s lack of CCTV coverage, as per India Today NE.

The recovery operation was severely hampered by extreme weather, with Sohra recording 500mm of rainfall in just three days, which is equivalent to Mysore’s annual average. A drone-assisted search located Raja’s body in the gorge, while 17 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel continue to scour the area for Sonam.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by SP Herbert Kharkongor and comprising six officers, is probing possible motives - from robbery to personal vendetta. Post-mortem results are pending to determine whether Raja was killed before or after being thrown into the gorge.

The case has reignited fears over tourist safety in Meghalaya. Earlier this year, Hungarian traveller Puskas Zsolt was found dead 12 days after vanishing during a trek to the same living root bridges.