Meghalaya safe for visitors: Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh

Shillong, June 9 (PTI) Asserting that Meghalaya is safe for visitors, Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh on Monday said legal action would be taken against those who harmed the image of the state in the backdrop of the murder of the tourist from Indore.

Raja Raghuvanshi, a resident of Indore in Madhya Pradesh, was murdered while honeymooning in the state's Sohra area. His wife was among the five people arrested in connection with the killing.

Speaking to PTI, Lyngdoh said efforts were made to dent the image of Meghalaya, which is a safe destination for tourists.

"The state government has directed the police to register FIRs to ensure that all these perpetrators are brought to book," he said.

Raghuvanshi's murder was the first such case to happen in Sohra in years, he said.

"We congratulate the SIT, the mountaineering association, the rock climbing association, and the local people of Sohra, the media fraternity, who, despite very challenging terrain and the slush in the peak of monsoon, recovered the body of Raghuvanshi from the gorge," he added.

Lyngdoh alleged that people across the country were incited against communities from Meghalaya.

He also said the government will immediately review the entire situation to improve the safety and security of tourists.

Meanwhile, the government has advised homestays and hotels to install CCTV cameras.

"That (installing CCTVs) helps us especially in places where you have high footfalls," East Khasi Hills SP Vivek Syiem said. PTI JOP SOM