Shillong Police took the four accused in the Raja Raghuvanshi murder to Shillong after obtaining their seven-day transit remand for further investigation in the case, in Indore on June 10, 2025.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Pained by the portrayal of their town and Meghalaya as crime-prone and an unsafe place for tourists, the people of Sohra (Cherrapunji), on Tuesday (June 10, 2025), paid floral tributes to and held a candlelight vigil for Raja Raghuvanshi, the businessman from Indore murdered during a honeymoon trip on May 23.

They also organised a rally demanding an apology from certain mainstream media houses and individuals for accusing the locals of putting the lives of Raja and his 24-year-old wife Sonam in peril. The recovery of Raja’s body from a deep gorge on June 2 led to a twist in the tale of the “missing” couple, with Ms. Raghuvanshi accused of murdering her husband.

The solemn event in Sohra and adjoining villages, whose tourism business was temporarily impacted by the Indore couple’s case, happened hours before the accused were brought to Shillong, about 60 km away, from Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh on a transit remand.

“All the accused persons, including Sonam Raghuvanshi, will be produced before a court on Wednesday (June 11, 2025). They will also be taken to Sohra to reconstruct the crime,” said Vivek Syiem, the Superintendent of Police of the East Khasi Hills district.

The Meghalaya Police obtained a six-day remand for the four men caught in Indore (Madhya Pradesh) and Lalitpur (Uttar Pradesh). The remand for Ms. Raghuvanshi, who surrendered to the police in Ghazipur, was for three days.

At Sohra, grief for Raja turned into indignation at some television channels, online commentators, and social media users, including those from the Raghuvanshi family, abusing the people of Meghalaya when rescue workers were searching for the “missing” Indore couple. The badmouthing intensified after Raja’s body was recovered.

“We demand an unconditional apology from the national media houses and individuals on social media who spread false and defamatory content about Sohra and its people. If no apology is issued within the next 24 hours, we will not hesitate to file FIRs and pursue legal action,” a spokesperson of Hima Sohra (traditional body) said.

Gavin Miguel Mylliem, the MLA of Sohra, underscored the community’s pain and outrage during the candlelight vigil. “This is a tragedy that has deeply shaken us all. Raja was a guest in our land. The people of Sohra welcomed him with open hearts, and what happened to him is not a reflection of this place,” he said.