The ongoing search operation for Sonam Raghuvanshi continued to face significant challenges today due to adverse weather conditions.
Despite dedicated efforts by the rescue teams, Sonam remains missing nearly two weeks after she and her husband Raja were last seen alive. Raja’s body was discovered on Monday and yesterday police ruled his death to be a homicide.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) deployed rappelling equipment at the Weisawdong viewpoint, near where Raja was found, and one of its personnel descended approximately 200 metres into the gorge. However, the operation had to be halted due to poor visibility and dangerously slippery stones, preventing the personnel from reaching the base of the gorge.
Inspector Lalringsana of the 1st Battalion NDRF said, “This steep gorge at Weisawdong is unlike any terrain we’ve encountered across India. The dense forest cover, coupled with low visibility and wet, slippery rocks, makes it extremely difficult for ground-level access. Even drones are unable to fly effectively here. We’ll have to resume the search tomorrow.”
Sonam’s brother was present at the site but declined to speak to the media. He did, however, confirm that the entire family has arrived in Shillong and will stay until Sonam is found. Sonam, a businesswoman dealing in lemonade plywood, was married to Raja, who ran a transport business, in May this year. The couple reportedly met about seven months ago in an arranged marriage setup.
Approximately 50 to 60 personnel are engaged in the search operation.
Earlier in the day, the team carried out an intensive sweep of the AD Viewpoint in Makma village before returning to the Weisawdong viewpoint and Riat Arliang parking lot, where Raja’s semi-decomposed body was discovered. GPS data from the couple’s rented scooty shows the vehicle circling around the Weisawdong parking lot for about 18 minutes, with a two-minute stop near AD Viewpoint. This led authorities to focus their search efforts at these two key locations.
It was only in 2023 that Weisawdong was involved in another homicide. In that particular case, a double murder was committed in Assam and the accused disposed of the body parts in Sohra and Dawki.
