By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, June 28: Is Meghalaya finding it tough to woo tourists again? A series of events such as recent floods, heavy rainfall, and the sensational Raja Raghuvanshi case seem to have disrupted the steady inflow of tourists who had been visiting the state in large numbers.
A city hotelier revealed that the occupancy rate in Shillong hotels remains worryingly low.
“Even July is looking bad,” the hotelier said.
Typically, the June-August period marks the peak tourist season in Meghalaya. However, this year has been an exception so far.
Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh recently expressed hope that upcoming major events like the Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival and other festivals would help revive tourist footfall in the state.
Back story: Raja Raghuvanshi, an Indore-based businessman, went missing on May 23, 2025, while on his honeymoon with his wife Sonam. His mutilated body was discovered on June 2 in a deep gorge in the Weisawdong Falls area of Sohra, East Khasi Hills.
The Meghalaya Police formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case.
The investigation revealed that Sonam and her alleged lover, Raj Kushwaha, conspired to kill Raghuvanshi with the help of hired killers.
Several accused individuals have been arrested, including Raj Kushwaha, Vishal Chauhan, Akash Rajput, Anand Kurmi, and Lokendra Singh Tomar.
The police recovered a country-made pistol, two magazines, and two rounds of .32 caliber ammunition from a stream.
Additionally, Rs 50,000 was recovered from one of the accused’s vehicles, which is believed to have been taken from Raghuvanshi’s laptop bag.
The investigation is under way, with the police interrogating the accused to uncover more details about the crime. The police are also investigating the status of digital evidence, including laptops allegedly used by the accused.
The discussions about decline in tourist footfall assume significance especially in the wake of this horrifying case.
Meghalaya was subject to serious backlash before the sensational revelation.
Many national media houses had even branded the state as crime-prone and unsafe. However, after the dust settled, such slipshod tags slapped on the state were univocally removed.
But what if this episode left a mark too hard to erase?
