Perpetrators of the attack on the image of Meghalaya will be brought to book: Paul

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 9, 2025

Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh on Monday said all perpetrators of the attack on the image of Meghalaya will be brought to book.

His statement came following the significant breakthrough in the recent murder case of a newlywed tourist from Indore Raja Raghuvanshi at Sohra with the arrest of his wife Sonam and four others from Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

“As far as the attacks on the image of Meghalaya, the media trial and slugfest that has been orchestrated by some news channels, the state government has already through the police department registered FIRs and we will also move through our legal means to ensure that all these perpetrators of this attack on the image of Meghalaya will be brought to book,” Lyngdoh told reporters.

Stating that all tourist destinations in Meghalaya are safe, the minister said the murder case of Raja Raghuvanshi was the first ever case ever reported in Sohra.

“There have not even been instances of assault on tourists but when people come here with the motive of murdering somebody, how do we prevent that from happening and these are married couples on their honeymoon. How do we track their movement when they refuse the service of guides as well,” he stated.

He further mentioned that the role of a section of the national media has also drawn the attention of the state government.

“They have been running a media trial over the past one week and in fact some of the immediate family of both the accused and the victim have also used very defamatory language against Meghalaya and there were only instances where they have gone to the extent of inciting people to actually take revenge against the residents and people of Meghalaya.”

He however said the government will immediately review the entire situation and improve the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for safety and security of tourists.

Responding to the idea of CCTV installation, Lyngdoh however said, “Let me also remind you that tourists also come here to enjoy nature, private moments – this couple has come on a honeymoon, how can we fix CCTVs wherever they go? Would they like that? Is it humanly possible for us to fit CCTVs across all gorges in Sohra? Is it even desirable?”

East Khasi Hills SP Vivek Syiem said homestays, hotels have been advised to have CCTVs as it becomes very helpful. “That helps us especially in places where you have high footfalls but it is not possible you see the span of that place – the search was initially conducted over 150 sq kms, it is not possible in that kind of terrain to have even in the city. We have recently had 300 cameras under the smart city, so you can well imagine that terrain you have gorges and the kind of undergrowth, it is not possible to have CCTVs everywhere. We can insist and advise homestays, hotels where the footfall is high. It is helpful.”

In regards to the FIRs being filed, the SP said, “There are people from here who are studying outside as some people are saying let us harm the people from here who are outside. I would like to tell you we have taken a suo motu case against that person. Another FIR has come against people who have given false propaganda. I would request don’t make judgment, don’t draw conclusions, lots of people are making speculation and people who have gone to the extreme, we have taken up cases (against them).”

Earlier while congratulating the Meghalaya police, the tourism minister said that the state of Meghalaya and the people of Meghalaya today are relieved that the state police have been able to crack this case, the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi

“As I had said the other day that we placed our full confidence in the capable state police led by the DGP and the SP, East Khasi Hills and the confidence that we have expressed publicly just the other day has today turned out to be a well-placed and it is clearly a case that involved a love triangle.

It is also a case where the main accused had engaged contract killers in order to carry out her heinous crime,” he said.

“The state and the people of Meghalaya stand vindicated. We congratulate the special investigation team (SIT), mountaineering association, rock climbing association, the local people of Sohra, media fraternity, who despite very challenging terrain and the slush in the peak of monsoon, we also have been able to recover the body of the victim,” Lyngdoh said while adding “Despite that, the same family had accused that Meghalaya police was inefficient, they were unable to carry out the investigation and in a span of seven days, the SIT has now cracked the case.”

Meanwhile, Lyngdoh said that Meghalaya will continue to play host to tourists from across the country and abroad.

“We will continue to do that. However, we will also keep engaging with the entire local tourist fraternity to ensure we upscale our capacity to prevent such incidents.”

On the questions raised about why were there no guides to accompany the couple, Lyngdoh said,  “It has  now been proved beyond doubt that the tourist couple did not agree to the offer of a service of a guide and in fact wanted to go on their own and therefore, the state cannot in fact force people to take the help and assistance of a guide but the service is available as and when people opt for it.”