Meghalaya honeymoon horror: Citizens demand installation of more CCTV cameras in Shillong

Shillong: People from various localities in Shillong have requested the state government to install more CCTV cameras in the city and its adjoining areas to enhance the safety and security of the citizens, Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar said here on Tuesday.

The demand came a day after Meghalaya Police arrested Sonam and her aides for their role in the cold-blooded murder of her husband Raja Raghuvanshi in Sohra in East Khasi Hills district, around 60km from Shillong.

Raja and Sonam, who got married on May 11 in Indore, came to Meghalaya on their honeymoon. They disappeared on May 23, hours after checking out of a homestay at Nongriat village, 20 km from where his body was found.

Raja was found dead in a gorge near Weisawdong Falls in the district on June 2, ten days after the couple went missing.

"The urban affairs department has received numerous requests from many localities for installation of close circuit televisions (CCTVs) to ensure the safety and security of the citizens and to aid the police in investigation of crimes," Dhar told PTI.

He said the state capital currently has over 335 CCTVs under the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC).

According to Dhar, who is also the Urban Affairs Minister, the government plans to extend CCTV coverage to other parts of the state, including Jowai in the eastern Jaintia Hills region and Tura in the western Garo Hills region.

"We are currently assessing the size and layout of these areas to determine the number of CCTV cameras required," he said.

Sonam Raghuvanshi, a 24-year-old woman from Indore, allegedly orchestrated the murder of her husband Raja Raghuvanshi, during their honeymoon in the scenic town of Sohra, state DGP I Nongrang said on Monday, revealing the details of the shocking crime that triggered a manhunt across three states.

Raja was killed by men allegedly hired by Sonam, who went 'missing' and surfaced in UP's Ghazipur where she surrendered at the Nandganj police station after the arrest of three assailants -- Akash Rajput (19), Vishal Singh Chauhan (22), and Raj Singh Kushwaha (21) -- in overnight raids.

Meghalaya Police's Special Investigation Team (SIT) has availed a transit remand for Sonam and they are bringing her to Shillong where she will be produced in a court here later on Tuesday in the murder case registered under Sohra PS. PTI JOP MNB