'Indore couple was seen with 3 men before vanishing,' says guide
A local guide in Meghalaya claimed he saw the missing Indore couple with three men shortly before they disappeared. While Raja's body has been recovered, the search for his wife Sonam continues amid poor visibility, monsoon rains and mounting suspicions of foul play.
News Arena Network - Shillong - UPDATED: June 8, 2025, 12:06 PM - 2 min read
Relatives and friends of Sonam Raghuvanshi, who along with her husband Raja Raghuvanshi went missing during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, stage a protest against the Meghalaya government, in Indore, Saturday.
A tourist guide in Meghalaya has claimed that a honeymooning couple from Indore—Raja Raghuvanshi and his wife Sonam—was last seen in the company of three unknown men shortly before their mysterious disappearance on 23 May.
While Raja’s decomposed body was recovered from a gorge near Weisawdong falls on 2 June, Sonam remains untraced. The state government has intensified the search operation in the area despite the region's harsh terrain, continuous rainfall and extremely poor visibility.
Albert Pde, a guide based in Mawlakhiat village, said he saw the couple at around 10 a.m. on 23 May, accompanied by three men as they were climbing over 3,000 steps from Nongriat to Mawlakhiat.
Albert Pde (extreme left).
“I recognised the couple as I had offered my services to them the previous day to guide them to Nongriat. They had politely refused and hired another guide,” said Pde.
“The four men were walking ahead while the woman was behind. The four men were conversing in Hindi but I could not understand what they were speaking as I know only Khasi and English,” he added.
According to Pde, the couple had spent the night of 22 May at Shipara homestay after descending to Nongriat and had returned without a guide the following morning. “By the time I reached Mawlakhiat, their scooter was not there,” he said. Pde has recorded his statement with the police.
The couple’s rented scooter was later found abandoned at Sohrarim, several kilometres from the parking lot at Mawlakhiat. The keys were still latched to it.
The police believe Raja’s death may have been a case of murder. A gold ring and chain were missing from his body, and a bloodstained machete was discovered in the vicinity the following day. Two days later, a raincoat similar to the one worn by Sonam was found in Mawkma village, halfway between Sohrarim and the gorge. CCTV footage from a local homestay confirmed she was seen in a similar coat earlier.
No CCTV cameras or vehicle registers are available at the Mawlakhiat parking lot, and infrastructure in the area is poor. “The village itself has very poor infrastructure and inconsistent power supply,” said a village elder.
Local authorities have now decided to begin recording vehicle numbers and visitors’ contact details. Meanwhile, a special investigation team led by a Superintendent of Police and four Deputy Superintendents has been constituted to probe the matter.
Sonam’s brother, Govind, who has been camping in Shillong since the incident, expressed his dissatisfaction with the state’s efforts. “We strongly believe Sonam is alive. They are searching for her like she is dead,” he said. He has urged authorities to seek assistance from the CBI or other agencies.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has assured the family that the government was “leaving no stone unturned” in tracing Sonam. “We are trying our best... our boys are doing what they can without rest using gadgets and trained dogs. The search will continue,” said East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police, Vivek Syiem.
The search, involving the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), trained mountaineers, drones and sniffer dogs, is continuing despite severe weather and challenging conditions.
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