Indore couple goes missing on honeymoon in Meghalaya; husband found dead, wife still untraceable
PTC Web Desk: A tragic and mysterious case has come to light in Meghalaya, where an Indore-based couple — Sonam Raghuvanshi and her husband Raja Raghuvanshi — went missing during their honeymoon. The couple checked into a homestay in Nongriat village in East Khasi Hills district on May 22, but they disappeared without a trace the following morning. While Raja's body was recovered from a deep gorge near Sohra on June 3, Sonam remains missing despite intensive search operations.
Timeline of events and audio clue
In a chilling twist, an undated audio clip — believed to be Sonam’s last known communication — surfaced in which she speaks with her mother-in-law while trekking through a forested region. In the conversation, Sonam is heard saying: “We’re climbing right now... will talk later.”
Her mother-in-law responds by reminding her it must be her fasting day. Sonam confirms, saying: “Yes, it is. But I won’t break my fast just for this outing.” She also expresses frustration about the difficult conditions of the terrain: “We’re in a dense forest, nothing is available here. The climb is steep. I had told him not to go, but he never listens. I’m exhausted. The food here isn’t good either. It’s hard to breathe while walking.”
Following their disappearance on May 23, the local police launched a search operation on May 24 with assistance from villagers. The effort faced several obstacles, particularly heavy rainfall and poor visibility on May 30, which caused a temporary suspension of rescue work. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) joined the search on June 4 as weather conditions improved.
On June 3, Raja Raghuvanshi’s body was found in a gorge near Sohra. His identity was confirmed by his brother through a tattoo on his right hand that read "Raja". The police also recovered several personal items from the site, including a woman’s white shirt, a strip of medicine, parts of a mobile phone screen and a smartwatch. Despite these findings, Sonam Raghuvanshi remains missing, and her fate is still unknown.
The local police registered a case of homicide, but later ruled out foul play in Raja’s death. According to the post-mortem report, he died as a result of injuries consistent with a fall. However, given the mysterious circumstances and Sonam’s disappearance, the investigation remains open and active.
As of now, search and rescue efforts are ongoing under NDRF's supervision. The teams continue to comb the dense and challenging forest terrain in hopes of locating Sonam Raghuvanshi.
- With inputs from agencies
