‘Honeymoon tragedy’: Meghalaya deploys drones to trace Indore woman; search paused due to fog, poor visibility; calls for safety reforms & CCTV boost

SHILLONG: The Meghalaya govt has deployed drones to assist in the ongoing search operation carried out by National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, SRT, Fire and Emergency Services, Special Operations Team, Special Investigation Team and local volunteers On Friday, the operation was carried out in inclement weather and challenging terrain to try and locate the missing woman from Indore, Sonam Rajbanshi (27).The search operation was called off in the evening due to foggy weather and poor visibility and will resume on Saturday. Investigation into the murder of Sonam's husband, Raja Rajuvanshi (29), is also underway.The newly-married couple from Madhya Pradesh had come to Sohra on a honeymoon trip. Leader of the Opposition, Mukul Sangma, has called for installation of more CCTVs at vantage entry points to the state. Speaking to reporters, Sangma said the couple had chosen Meghalaya as it is the safest tourist destination. "I condole the unfortunate loss of life of this family…," he said.The former chief minister maintained there was no time to play politics over the incident and it should be a wake-up call for the govt and the people of the state."The govt must take cognizance of this. It may not be an act of the member belonging to any militant outfit but it can be because of what is already prevailing in the state of Meghalaya, so wake up, the citizens must wake up, all of us must wake up," he said.The veteran public leader also stressed the need to implement the Meghalaya Residents, Safety and Security Act, 2016, and said installation of CCTVs has been mandated by the law.