The Meghalaya police have cracked the case of Indore tourist Raja Raghuvanshi’s murder on May 23 with the arrest of his wife Sonam, 21-year-old Raj Kushwaha, who she is suspected to have been in relationship with, and three others. In an interview with The Indian Express, the state’s Chief Minister Conrad Sangma weighs in on the case and its aftermath.
What’s your view on how the Meghalaya Police investigated the honeymoon murder?
We must give all credit to the Meghalaya police as they cracked this case under very difficult circumstances. They were also able to find solid evidence to link it to the accused. So I want to give them credit.
Secondly, it is now clear that in this murder, people from outside the state were involved. But in the last few days, many individuals and media houses tried to blame the state government and the police.
Moreover, they tried to paint a very negative picture of the Northeast and of Meghalaya. It was very unfortunate.
Without any basis or evidence, media houses were speculating and branding Meghalaya as unsafe and dangerous. This upset Meghalaya’s people a lot. But now, facts are out and it’s quite clear that people from outside the state were involved in the murder.
I want to assure everyone that Meghalaya is a tourist-friendly place, and we will continue to ensure that our state remains so. The investigation is still going on, and more facts and aspects will come out soon.
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Social media was also abuzz with questions on the safety of tourists in the state…
People who have been painting the Northeast and Meghalaya in a bad light should apologise. They should apologise to the government, to the police, and to the people of Meghalaya. Not only did they paint a wrong picture, but they also maligned people.
Ultimately, everyone has realised that these allegations were all wrong. I also expect that people who have done the damage will listen to their conscience… realise their fault and rectify themselves and apologise.
As for the state, we keep improving, learning, and I can assure you that Meghalaya is a safe place. Northeast is a safe place, but we will ensure that we make it even better and we will learn from every single experience.
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What’s the evidence police are relying on to confirm that Sonam is the accused? Have they shared anything with you in this regard?
I don’t want to talk about those details yet, but the operation was carried out with the knowledge and support of Madhya Pradesh police, Uttar Pradesh police and the Intelligence Bureau. All these agencies, only after seeing the evidence and the facts shown by the Meghalya police, were convinced and subsequently moved ahead. If they were not convinced, they would not have gone ahead with the arrest.
In the wake of this crime, will steps be taken to install more CCTVs or train local guides with better technology?
Ultimately, it’s the people who matter the most in terms of intelligence and how they handle things. Even in this case, it was because of the inputs received from the local people that guided us a lot. So all these things will be taken care of, and we will keep on working on better safety measures.
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