Honeymoon murder case: Meghalaya govt to tighten rules to prevent crimes in guise of tourism

Shillong (Meghalaya) [India], June 14 (ANI): In the wake of the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case, the Meghalaya government has decided to revisit the existing Meghalaya Resident Safety and Security Act (MRSSA) to strengthen the existing legislation to ensure the safety of state residents and tourists.
Meghalaya Minister Alexander Laloo Hek told ANI that during the cabinet meeting yesterday a very important decision was taken to revisit the Meghalaya Resident Safety and Security Act (MRSSA) and the tourists coming to Meghalaya have to be registered.
He said it has been decided to install CCTV cameras in tourist places in the state.
"We have also decided to install CCTV in all tourist places in Meghalaya as well as in hotels, homestays, lodges" he added.
Asked about Raja Raghuvanshi and Sonam Raghuvanshi hiring a Scooty from an illegal agency of Shillong, the minister said, "For now, we don't know that it's illegal or not, but it is being said that they have hired the Scooty from Shillong only".
Earlier on Friday, Meghalaya Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh praised the state police for their "efficient" investigation into the sensational Raja Raghuvanshi murder case, which led to the arrest of five accused, including the victim's wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi.
Speaking with ANI, Lyngdoh said the successful investigation had restored the state's image and boosted tourism. "Now that Meghalaya's name has been cleared and our police's efficiency has been proven, more tourists are flocking to Meghalaya... We have a police force that managed to solve such a sensational murder case in just seven days," the minister said.
Lyngdoh further said that the state cabinet informally acknowledged the efforts of the police in solving what has come to be known as the "honeymoon murder case." He added that a formal ceremony would be held soon to honour the investigating officers.
"The Cabinet today informally discussed acknowledging the role of the police department in the case. Later, we will have a formal ceremony where the DGP and senior officers will honour them," he said. Highlighting the case's significance and how the police handled the case, Lyngdoh said, "This has given Meghalaya and the entire Northeast a major boost. We have shown the world that we are crime-free and tourist-friendly -- not the crime-prone as was being projected."
The Meghalaya Police arrested five people in connection with the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi, a newlywed who had come to the state on his honeymoon. Those arrested include his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, and four others: Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan, Raj Singh Kushwaha, and Anand. Superintendent of Police, East Khasi Hills, Vivek Syiem, said the accused's interrogation is ongoing, and police will seek further remand if needed.
"Interrogation is going...If we require more remand, we will take it accordingly...Once the interrogation and the statement recording is finalised, and the statements are finalised, we will do a reconstruction of the crime scene," Syiem said.
On Wednesday, a court remanded all five accused, including Sonam Raghuvanshi, to eight days of police custody. Raja Raghuvanshi's body was found in a gorge near Sohra (Cherrapunji) on June 2.
Sonam was later found near a roadside dhaba along the Varanasi-Ghazipur highway. The couple, both residents of Indore in Madhya Pradesh, had gone missing during their honeymoon trip to Meghalaya. (ANI)