Raincoat With Stains Found In Search For Missing Indore Woman In Meghalaya

As the police continue their search for Sonam Raghuvanshi who went missing on May 23 while on her honeymoon in Meghalaya, a raincoat with stains has been found, giving investigators hope that the body will be found soon.

The body of her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, was found on Monday, 11 days after the couple went missing.

Meghalaya East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police, Vivek Syiem, on Wednesday confirmed that a raincoat had been recovered, but said it is too early to determine whether it is linked to the missing woman.

"We recovered a wet raincoat. There are certain stains on it, but we cannot confirm if those are blood stains. Only forensic tests will determine that," Mr Syiem told reporters.

The police said they are checking if the raincoat matches the one worn by Sonam in available video footage.

"We will compare with the footage that we have, whether it belongs to the missing woman or not, and only after some time can we confirm it. Even the size is also XXXL," he said.

Regarding the search operation, Mr Syiem told reporters that teams combed through the dense undergrowth in the Wei Sawdong area on Wednesday. However, heavy rainfall hampered the progress of the search effort. Despite the challenges posed by the inclement weather, search efforts will continue in the surrounding areas.

"Many groups are involved, more than 50 to 60 people from the NDRF, SDRF, fire and emergency services, SIT, SOT, and also local volunteers are searching for her," he said.

On the possibility of using drones due to a brief respite from the rain to enhance the search effort, Mr Syiem said the weather had only recently improved.

"It was only recently the weather cleared a bit, otherwise the weather was bad, and torrential rain was making it very difficult, even though we used the NESAC drone," he said.

Mr Syiem said it was through drone assistance that the body of the man was found.

"When it cleared up, we could find the body and other evidence. Hopefully the weather clears up," he added.

Addressing the issue of speculation surrounding the incident, Mr Syiem said, "A lot of theories will be there. The SIT is formed. We will gather evidence and get to the facts of the matter."

"All possibilities are being considered. We will proceed based on facts, the circumstances, and evidence collected from the crime scene. From there, we will know which direction to take," he added as questions remain over what led to the death of Raja Raghuvanshi.

According to the police, the couple arrived in Mawlakhiat village on May 22 and then went to Nongriat, where they stayed the night to celebrate their honeymoon.

They left the homestay the following morning, and on May 24, their scooter was found outside a cafe along the road from Shillong to Sohra, also known as Cherrapunji.

The body of 29-year-old Raja Raghuvanshi was recovered in a gorge some 20 km from Nongriat village.  His brother identified his body through a tattoo on his right hand that read 'Raja'.

The police said a woman's white shirt, a strip of medicine, a part of the LCD screen of a mobile phone and a smartwatch were also found at the spot.