Indore couple missing in Meghalaya: Man's body found, search for wife continues

The body of an Indore resident who had gone missing along with his wife in Meghalaya last month was found on Monday, while search for his wife continues, a Madhya Pradesh police official said here.

Raja Raghuvanshi and his wife Sonam had gone missing on May 23 in Sohra (also known as Cherrapunji) in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district after going there for their honeymoon.

''We have received information that Meghalaya police recovered a body which was identified as that of Raja Raghuvanshi by his brother Vipin Raghuvanshi. The details of the death will be had after we get the post mortem report. The police there have not got any clue so far of Sonam Raghuvanshi,'' Indore Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Prevention Branch) Rajesh Kumar Tripathi told PTI.

MP Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, in a post on X, expressed grief.

''The news of the disappearance and finding of the body of Indore resident Raja Raghuvanshi, who had gone to visit Meghalaya after marriage, is very sad. The search for his wife Sonam is on,'' he said.

Yadav's cabinet colleague Kailash Vijayvargiya said the search operation had encountered heavy rains.

'''It was raining heavily during the search operation for the Raghuvanshi couple in Meghalaya. We are very sad that we could not save Raja Raghuvanshi, but the search for his wife is on. We pray to God for her safety,'' he said.

Raja Raghuvanshi's family runs a transport business, with kin saying the couple got married here on May 11 and left for Meghalaya on May 20.

As per Meghalaya police, the couple had arrived in Mawlakhiat village on May 22 on a rented scooter. They trekked over 3,000 steps down a gorge to visit the famous 'living roots' bridges in Nongriat village, where they stayed the night in a homestay. On May 24, their scooter was found abandoned outside a cafe along the road from Shillong to Sohra, as per police.

Heavy rainfall, landslides and low visibility have been major challenges for the rescue teams, armed with drones, in the last few days, as per police in the north eastern state.

Madhya Pradesh MPs Shankar Lalwani and Sumer Singh Solanki had earlier reviewed the rescue operations with Meghalaya DGP I Nongrang and Chief Secretary D P Wahlang, officials said.

Earlier, the deceased's brother Sachin Raghuvanshi had claimed the couple may have been kidnapped and had urged the use of the army to trace them.

He had told reporters here that local hotel staff guides and those renting out two-wheelers in the north eastern state may be involved in the disappearance.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)