It has been over two weeks since a couple from Indore went missing while on their honeymoon trip in Shillong, Meghalaya. About 10 days after the couple went untraceable, the police found the body of the husband Raja Raghuvanshi from a gorge. However, the police have not yet been able to trace the wife Sonam Raghuvanshi. Here is a timeline of events since the couple arrived in Shillong.

A timeline of what happened

Sonam and Raja Raghuvanshi got married on 11th May and boarded a flight to Shillong on 20th May.

May 21

The next day, in the evening, they checked into a guesthouse named Balaji Guest House in Shillong.

May 22

They rented a scooter in the morning and went out on Keating Road. They returned to the guest house and checked out without having breakfast. They informed the manager of the guest house that they would return by 25th May and would call if they would need a room.

From Shillong, they travelled to a popular tourist spot called Sohra (Cherrapunji) carrying their luggage on a two-wheeler. Then, they arrived at Mawlakhiat village in East Khasi Hills and parked the scooter at a local parking spot. They hired a local guide to trek to Shipara Homestay at Nongriat village.

May 23

The couple checked out from Shipara Homestay and returned to Mawlakhiat village without the guide. Next, they set out from Mawlakhiat, and after that, they went missing. Police began a search to trace the couple and interrogated the guide who told them that the couple did not use his service for the return trek to Mawlakhiat.

May 24

The headman of Sohrarim village in East Khasi Hills informed the police that a scooter was found abandoned at their village.

May 25

Police traced the owner of the scooter, who came to Sohra police station and told the police that the couple had rented the two-wheeler from him. The police kept looking for the couple, who were still untraceable.

June 2

While searching for the couple, a police drone found a body in a gorge in Wei Sawdong Falls, about 20 km away from their homestay. The body was semi-decomposed and was identified by Raja Raghuvanshi’s family.

The Police said that Raja Raghuvanshi was murdered. His mobile phone and a stained machete, believed to have been used in killing him, was found by police near his body. A raincoat, reportedly having blood stains, was also found a few kilometres away from where Raja’s body was found.

According to Vivek Syiem, Superintendent of police, East Khasi Hills, Vivek Syiem, the police are investigating whether the raincoat belongs to Sonam Raghuvanshi, who remains missing. The police is also trying to confirm if the stains on the raincoat are blood. Teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are jointly conducting the search.

Sonam’s family suspects she was trafficked to Bangladesh

Sonam’s brother, Govind Raghuvanshi, has expressed fears of her being abducted and taken across the border to Bangladesh. Raja’s brother, Vipin, also raised the possibility of Sonam being trafficked To Bangladesh as the region is close to Bangladesh border.

As the police have not found any success in locating Sonam Raghuvanshi, her family is demanding the case to be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation CBI.

“It has been so many days and the search team has not got any clue. The rescuers have not yet found her phone or bag. So, this is kidnapping. We appeal to the police and the rescuers not to give up hope and change their tack to find her alive,” he said. Govind Raghuvanshi expressed disstisfaction over the efforts of the state government in locating Sonam. He said that authorities are looking for her sister as she is dead. “We strongly believe Sonam is alive. They are searching for her like she is dead,” Govind said.

CCTV footage shows the couple outside a homestay

As per reports, a CCTV footage of the couple from 22nd May, shows them arriving at a homestay with their luggage on a two-wheeler. In the footage, the couple is seen interacting normally. Raja walked into the homestay to talk to the staff while Sonam waited near the luggage. She was seen wearing a white shirt which is said to have been found later by the police near Raja’s body.

Tourist guide says he saw the couple with 3 men

According to reports, a local tourist guide Albert Pde, claimed to have seen the couple with 3 men on the day of disappearance when they were climbing over 3,000 steps from Nongriat to Mawlakhiat around 10 am on May 23. Pde said that he recognised the couple because a day before he had offered his services to them on their climb down to Nongriat.

“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,” Pde told PTI. “By the time I reached Mawlakhiat, their scooter was not there,” he added.