'Meghalaya is very safe': Targeted over Indore tourist's murder, state slaps FIRs against false narrative peddlers

Accused Sonam Raghwanshi in custody of police. (Source: Image/X)

A day after the sensational murder of Indore tourist Raja Raghuvanshi took a dramatic turn with the arrest of his wife Sonam and the exposure of a murder-for-hire plot, the Meghalaya Police have filed FIRs against individuals accused of spreading false propaganda and communal hate targeting the people of the state, The Indian Express reported.

The development comes in the wake of a wave of misinformation and communal accusations made on social media and sections of national media following the couple’s disappearance in May. Initially perceived as a possible case of tourist endangerment, the narrative shifted sharply after investigations revealed that Raja had allegedly been killed by contract killers hired by Sonam and her reported partner, Raj Khushwa.

East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem was quoted by The Indian Express as saying, “There are some people who have given communal statements against the local people here. We have taken that into cognizance because there are people from here studying outside, and some have said ‘let us harm the local community outside’. We have taken a suo motu case against this person. Another FIR has also come against such people who have made false propaganda.”

Meghalaya’s government has strongly condemned what it calls a smear campaign against the state, which it believes has unfairly maligned the image of the state and its people. Home Minister and senior police officials have underlined that those responsible for inciting hate will face legal consequences.

Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh accused sections of the national media of conducting a "media trial" and said some family members of the accused and victim had used "defamatory language" against Meghalaya. "The state and the people of Meghalaya today stand vindicated… We will move through legal means to ensure all these perpetrators of the attack on the image of Meghalaya will be brought to book," Lyngdoh was quoted by The Indian Express.

Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong echoed the sentiment, describing the attacks on the state’s reputation as “hurtful”. “From the government’s side, we were so deeply hurt when we saw so many comments made on social media and the national news, which treated Meghalaya as a den of criminals… But we have already told you that Meghalaya is very safe.”

Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma commended the police’s swift action and also praised the SIT for solving the complex murder case within a week, reinforcing the state’s commitment to law and order.

Meanwhile, in a new twist to the Indore businessman's murder case, police now say the three men who killed Raja Raghuvanshi during his Meghalaya honeymoon were not professional contract killers but friends of his wife's alleged lover, Raj Kushwaha, NDTV reported.

The accused - Anand Kumri (23), Akash Rajput (19) and Vicky Thakur - all from Madhya Pradesh, were initially believed to be hired assassins. Kumri was arrested from Uttar Pradesh's Bina district. Raja was murdered in what police call a conspiracy by his wife Sonam and her lover Kushwaha, as per NDTV. The revelation comes as Meghalaya authorities continue investigating the high-profile case that sparked online backlash against the state.