By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, June 7: Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh on Saturday said the state government will not defend any criminals from the state or beyond, but insisted there was no need for a CBI probe into the murder of Indore tourist Raja Raghuvanshi and the disappearance of his wife Sonam.
The couple went missing on May 23. Raja’s decomposed body was found in a gorge at Weisawdong on June 2, and the police have confirmed that he was murdered. A machete found near the body is said to have been used for this purpose.
Asked about the demand of the family members of the couple for a CBI probe, Lyngdoh said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) is working on the case apart from the police.
“I don’t see any relevance for a CBI probe, and if the inquiry fails, we will take the next logical step. We will not defend any criminal element, whether from within or outside the state,” he said.
Terming the incident as strange, he said Sohra has never witnessed any crime against tourists in decades, and the place, which is the epicentre of Meghalaya’s tourism industry, has always welcomed tourists.
“No Tourist has even been assaulted in Sohra,” he said, admitting that he thought tourists would avoid Sohra after the incident.
“Thousands of tourists are flocking to Sohra even now,” he said.
“Why would people take away their plate, which serves them food?” he asked, adding that SIT should be allowed to complete its investigation.
In the latest development, a tourist guide from Mawlakhiat, the village from which Sonam and Raja trekked to the Double Decker Root Bridge in Nongriat, said that he saw the couple with a group of three men making their way back to the Mawlakhiat parking lot.