Shillong: The Meghalaya government is considering deploying paramilitary personnel to aid in the search for a newlywed couple from Indore, Madhya Pradesh, who vanished while on their honeymoon in the East Khasi Hills district.
Officials confirmed on Saturday that around 50 police personnel are currently involved in the search for Raja Raghuvanshi and his wife Sonam, who have been missing since May 23 in the Sohra region.
“We are considering calling in paramilitary rescue units to support the ongoing search operation,” said East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police, Vivek Syiem. “Unfortunately, today’s efforts yielded no breakthrough.”
Persistent heavy rainfall and poor visibility continue to hamper the search and rescue operation, officials noted.
According to police, the couple arrived at Mawlakhiat village on May 22 on a rented scooter.
They descended over 3,000 steps to Nongriat village to visit the iconic living root bridges, where they stayed overnight.
They reportedly left the homestay the following morning, but on May 24, their scooter was discovered abandoned near a café along the Shillong–Sohra road.
Members of Parliament from Madhya Pradesh, Shankar Lalwani and Sumer Singh Solanki, reviewed the ongoing efforts with Director General of Police I Nongrang and Chief Secretary D.P. Wahlang.
They expressed satisfaction with the scale and seriousness of the response so far.
This is not the first such incident in the region.
Earlier this year, Hungarian tourist Puskas Zsolt went missing during a solo trek to the same root bridges.
His body was recovered 12 days later, with medical reports attributing his death to a fall.
In light of ongoing adverse weather and rising safety concerns, the state government has issued a series of advisories for tourists.
The Shillong–Dawki road, currently under construction, has been temporarily closed, and landslides and flash floods have disrupted traffic and mobility across multiple locations in the region.
