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Drones, sniffer dogs deployed to trace missing tourists in Meghalaya

Shillong, May 28 (UNI) The fate of the missing newly married couple from Madhya Pradesh is still unknown, though the search operation continues, officials said on Wednesday.
The couple went missing on May 24 in Sohra, also known as Cherrapunjee, a popular tourist destination in Meghalaya.
Meghalaya police have intensified their search and rescue operation for 27-year-old Raja Raghuvanshi and his wife Sonam from Indore.
The search and rescue team has now deployed drones from the North Eastern Space Applications Centre and also sniffer dogs to scour the rugged terrain.
The search is being conducted in a large area extending from Nongriat-Pyndemdkhar-Mawlakhiat, Mawsahew-Wahkaliar to Weisawdong.
The operation is being extended further along Mawkdok, Umdiengpoh and up to Sohra Rim along the Shillong-Sohra Road.
“Despite thorough efforts, no trace of them was found. Efforts are on," Vivek Syiem, the district police chief of East Khasi Hills, told UNI.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has assured his Madhya Pradesh counterpart Mohan Yadav of all help and support in tracing the tourist couple.
Yadav said he requested Sangma during a telephonic conversation to take quick and effective action for the couple’s safety.
“Chief Minister (Sangma) assured that his police administration is making all possible efforts to trace the missing couple. He has also assured all possible help,” Yadav had posted on X.
Meanwhile, Indore MP, Shankar Lalwani and Gopal Raghuvansh, one of the family members of the missing couple, met Meghalaya Director General of Police, Idashisha Nongrang on Wednesday and sought her support to to trace the newlyweds.
Senior Meghalaya BJP minister Alexander Laloo Hek on Wednesday visited Sohra and took stock of the search and rescue operation.
“They are still untraceable. Police, magistrates, local communities are doing their best to trace them,” Hek said

Police said the couple arrived at Mawlakhiat village from Shillong on a rented scooty to visit the double-decker root bridge in Nongriat on May 22.
They engaged a local guide and stayed overnight at Shipara Homestay. They checked out the next day at about 6 am and intended to return to Mawlakhiat.
The couple then left their luggage at another homestay, Manha Homestay at a different location (Saitsohpen) as there was no vacancy and went out to look for accommodation elsewhere. But surprisingly, they headed back to Nongriat without their luggage.
On May 24, the Sordar of Sohrarim reported an abandoned scooty. It was traced to the couple via E-challan and an FIR was filed by relatives.
However, there have been no confirmed sightings or verified reports about the couple’s movements from Nongriat to Mawlakhiat or the use of the scooty.
This is the second such incident in Meghalaya since April when a 41-year-old Hungarian tourist, Puskas Zsolt, was found dead near Ramdait village along the trail to Nongrait village, 12 days after he was reported missing.
Police ruled out any foul play in Zsolt’s death and suspected he might have died after a fall.
After that incident, the Meghalaya government issued an advisory for the safety of tourists. They were urged to exercise extreme caution near cliffs, jungles, and water bodies, and hire certified local guides. UNI RRK SSP
Tags: #Drones# sniffer dogs deployed to trace missing tourists in Meghalaya
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