Sri Vijaya Puram, June 8: The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken suo motu cognisance of the suspected murder of Raja Raghuvanshi and the mysterious disappearance of his wife, Sonam, during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, amid growing fears of human trafficking across the porous India-Bangladesh border.
Following disturbing reports that blood-stained clothes were found near the site and that the couple was last seen with unidentified men, NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has urged the Director General of Police, Meghalaya, to step up search operations using drone surveillance, search dogs, and specialised investigative teams.
The commission has also asked for forensic analysis of all materials recovered and said national agencies could be roped in if necessary. It further directed immediate arrests of any suspects and has demanded a comprehensive report within three days.
“The Commission considers this an extremely serious lapse and a clear violation of the provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013,” the NCW posted on its official handle on X (formerly Twitter). “The reported delay not only undermines the gravity of the situation but also contravenes the legal obligations set forth under the POSH Act.”
Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has appealed to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to hand the case over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). “In this moment of crisis, Madhya Pradesh stands firmly with the family of Mrs. Sonam Raghuvanshi. I have personally discussed the matter with the Chief Minister of Meghalaya,” he wrote on X, adding that senior police officials from Madhya Pradesh are in close coordination with their counterparts in Meghalaya.
Raja and Sonam Raghuvanshi, newlyweds from Indore, had travelled to Meghalaya via Guwahati for their honeymoon. They were last seen on May 23 in Sohra (Cherrapunji), a popular tourist spot.
Raja’s decomposed body was recovered on June 2 from a deep gorge near Weisawdong Falls, with his rented scooter found nearby during drone-assisted searches. His gold ring and chain were missing, and police recovered his phone and a bloodied machete suspected to be the murder weapon. Sonam remains missing.
Tourist guide Albert Pde, who had encountered the couple on May 23 at Nongriat and Mawlakhiyat, told media that he saw them walking with three unidentified men. “Four men were walking ahead while the woman was behind. They were conversing in Hindi, but I could not understand them,” he said.
Raja’s friend Vipin and Sonam’s brother, Govind, launched a search after the couple’s phones became unreachable on May 24. Their journey took them from Indore to Shillong and Sohra, where they discovered clues with help from locals and a moped rental service provider named Anil.
They eventually traced the last known location of the couple to a hotel in Sohra, where the manager confirmed the two had checked out at 5:30 a.m.—an unusually early departure for honeymooners, raising fresh questions.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage and concern, particularly due to suspicions of trafficking routes in northeastern India that have historically been exploited due to weak cross-border enforcement.
With mounting pressure from civil society and both state and central leadership, authorities have promised a rigorous investigation. The search for Sonam continues amid intensifying calls for justice and urgent intervention.
