Shillong, May 28: Cabinet Minister A.L. Hek, in charge of the Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Department, visited Sohra on Wednesday to review the ongoing search and rescue operations for Sonam Raghuvanshi and Raja Raghuvanshi, a tourist couple from Indore, Madhya Pradesh, who went missing last week in the Sohra region, also known as Cherrapunji.
The couple arrived at Mawlakhiat village (Elaka Mynteng) on May 22 and set out to visit the Double Decker Root Bridge in Nongriat with local guide Bha Wansai. They stayed overnight at Shipara Homestay and checked out early on May 23, intending to return to Mawlakhiat. However, they have not been seen since. No confirmed sightings have been reported along the trekking trail or at the scooty parking area.
Alarm was raised after an abandoned scooty, later confirmed to be theirs, was found in Sohrarim on May 24. An FIR was registered after the couple’s relatives reported them missing.
It was also discovered that the couple had left their luggage at Manha Homestay in Saitsohpen, Sohra, on May 22 due to heavy rainfall and lack of accommodation. The luggage, later opened in the presence of family members, offered no new leads.
Three search and rescue teams, assisted by K9 units, drones from the North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC), and personnel from the Special Operations Team (SOT), have been deployed across key and remote areas. These include routes through Nongriat-Pyndemdkhar-Mawlakhiat, Mawsahew-Wahkaliar, and Weisawdong. The search has also been extended to deep gorges along Mawkdok, Umdiengpoh, and Sohra Rim along the Shillong-Sohra Road.
Local communities are being engaged for information, and Block Development Officers have been directed to mobilize field staff to support the search efforts.
Hek reviewed the multi-agency operations and emphasized the need for a swift, coordinated, and comprehensive search. He assured full government support and urged all involved to intensify efforts to locate the missing couple.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely.
Also Read: Empowering Grassroots Heroes: Conrad hands over smartphones to Anganwadi workers in East Garo Hills
Also Watch
Find latest news from every corner of Northeast India at hubnetwork.in, your online source for breaking news, video coverage.
Also, Follow us on-
Twitter-twitter.com/nemediahub
Youtube channel- www.youtube.com/@NortheastMediaHub2020
Instagram- www.instagram.com/ne_media_hub
Download our app from playstore – Northeast Media Hub
