'We Suspect Kidnapping': Family Of Indore Woman Missing In Meghalaya During Honeymoon

The brother of a newly married woman who went missing during her honeymoon in Meghalaya has told the police their family suspects she has been kidnapped.

Rescuers have made no headway in the search for Sonam, a tourist from Indore whose husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, was found murdered in a gorge in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district.

The missing woman's brother, Govind Raghuvanshi, said they believe she is alive and have no reason to think otherwise. The family also asked the case to be taken up by 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," Govind Raghuvanshi said.

"Some 200 metres below the place where Raja's body was found, there were tonnes of garbage. If this place is isolated, then who is dumping garbage? It must be the locals. Who would know that a body had to be dumped on that pile of garbage?" he said.

The Indore couple's phones showed the tower location of Nongriat before they went missing. However, the last post on Instagram by Raja was from Weisawdong - all places near the popular tourist hotspot Cherrapunji or Sohra.

Sonam last spoke to her mother-in-law on May 23 afternoon. The couple's phones got switched off after that.

The police have recovered a stained weapon which they believed was used in the murder of Raja, while a raincoat was also found in Mawkma village, a few kilometres from the gorge where Raja's body was found.

Mawkma is located between the crime scene and Sohrarim, where a scooter used by the couple was found abandoned on May 23.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma expressed grief and called it a very unfortunate incident. He told the family the state government and the police are working at every level to investigate the incident and punish whoever is found guilty.

The Indore couple got married on May 11 and left for Meghalaya on May 20.