Meghalaya search party swells to 60 as hunt for missing Indore tourists widens
East Khasi Hills SP Vivek Syiem said the couple's phones were last traced to Mawlakhait, after which they went missing;
A file image of the landscape of Sohra, also known as Cherrapunji. (Photo:@meghtourism/X)
Shillong, May 28: A massive search and rescue operation is underway to trace the whereabouts of a tourist couple from Madhya Pradesh who went missing in Meghalaya’s Sohra on Saturday.
Jointly conducted by the Meghalaya Police and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), in cooperation with local villagers, the operation involves around 60 personnel combing areas the couple reportedly visited.
The couple, identified as Raja Raghuvanshi and his wife Sonam from Indore, went missing on May 24.
According to police, the couple had hired a two-wheeler from one Sagar Sen Samal of Keating Road on May 22 and travelled to Sohra. They were scheduled to return the vehicle after four days.
Mysteriously, their scooter — with the keys still in the ignition — was found abandoned on May 23 at Sohrarim, near Golden Pines Dhaba. It was first noticed by local residents and reported by the Sordar (village chief) of Sohrarim.
Paiadonbor Kharpuri, Secretary of Sohrarim village, said the community is assisting in the search effort. “We have been searching since Sunday across villages and treacherous areas, but so far we haven’t been successful,” he said.
East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem said the couple visited Mawlakhait village and then proceeded to the double-decker bridge in Nongriat village on May 22, accompanied by a local guide.
They had checked into Shipara Homestay in Nongriat that evening and checked out the next morning, reportedly heading to Mawlakhait village without a guide.
Their mobile phones’ geolocation last placed them in Mawlakhait, after which they went missing. Both phones are currently switched off.
“Our teams are still searching for the missing couple with the help of local villagers. There is no trace of them yet,” Syiem said.
This is the second such incident in Sohra in the past month. In April, a 41-year-old Hungarian tourist, Puskas Zsolt, was found dead near Ramdait village along the trail to Nongriat.
His body was recovered 12 days after he was reported missing. Police had ruled out foul play in that case.