SHILLONG, June 11: The family of Raja Raghuvanshi on Wednesday apologised to the Meghalaya government as the Indore-based businessman’s murder, allegedly by his wife, Sonam, had “tarnished” the image of the Northeastern state.
Raja’s brother Sachin Raghuvanshi also thanked the Meghalaya government for supporting their family.
“I want to apologise to the Meghalaya government that because of Sonam Raghuvanshi, the state’s image has been tarnished. Their police solved this case in 17 days. I want to thank the Meghalaya government for standing with us. They care for tourists,” the brother said.
Meanwhile, Raja’s father Ashok Raghuvanshi demanded that the family of Sonam, the deceased’s wife, also apologise to the Meghalaya Police.
“They should apologise for insulting the Meghalaya Police. I have faith in the Meghalaya Police. They have done a very good job. I also apologise for the insult they suffered. Meghalaya Police found my son, although he was dead. A complete inquiry should be done and the culprits must be hanged,” the father said.
Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava on Wednesday said if local people’s strong reactions over the murder of businessman Raja Raghuvanshi in Meghalaya has affected the Northeastern state’s image or its tourism, then he expresses regret over it.
The mayor also said Raghuvanshi’s murder is unfortunate and asserted that tourists are safe in the Northeast.
“If for any reason the image or tourism of Meghalaya or any other area of the Northeast has been affected, then I express regret over it,” Bhargava said.
He said the Meghalaya Police acted promptly and solved the murder case within a few days for which he is grateful to them.
“I myself have lived in the Northeast for some time and believe tourism is safe there. We all should take care that tourism in Meghalaya is not affected in any way,” he said.
Raja Raghuvanshi’s murder is unfortunate and it should not be linked to any particular place, the mayor said.
“This incident is a matter of introspection for us. We will communicate with the local people through various programmes so that they stay away from blindly following the western culture and such incidents do not occur in future.” The Times of India, which had used the derogatory term of “crime-prone hills” to refer to a specific area in Meghalaya, has also apologised to Meghalaya and its people. In a front page corrigendum, TOI said: “The term was never meant to refer to the entire state, or its people, nor was it ever our intention to paint Meghalaya, a peaceful, tourist-friendly state, in bad light. Our reports have consistently mentioned how Meghalaya Police braved treacherous terrain and harsh weather in their search for the couple. We have also regularly reported the Meghalaya Police’s version of events as well as the family’s concerns and fears.
“Nevertheless, we understand that the use of the term has upset the sentiments of the people of Meghalaya. We apologise for the same, and have removed it from the online copy,” the corrigendum added.
Earlier, in a live broadcast Republic TV Editor Arnab Goswami apologised to people of Meghalaya for misreporting and calling names. “We owe an apology to the people of Meghalaya. We should stop calling it a ‘Meghalaya murder mystery’. The social media campaign and the entire narrative against Meghalaya and the Northeast was unfortunate. It has unfairly tarnished the image of Meghalaya and its tourism sector,” Goswami said. (With agency inputs)
