'Apologise for tarnishing Meghalaya's image'

Speaking to ANI, Meghalaya Minister Alexander Laloo Hek said, "We are thankful to the Meghalaya police for the breakthroughs in the ongoing investigation of the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case. Now we are seeking an apology from Sonam and Raja Raghuvanshi's families for tarnishing the image of Meghalaya and its people. We will file a case of defamation if they don't comply." 

 "The accused will be brought here since the incident took place in the state. We do not have any issue if they want to hand over the case to the state police, central police or the probe agency, but the truth has already prevailed," said the Minister. The family of Raja Raghuvanshi had earlier written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting a CBI inquiry into the matter. Raja Raghuvanshi and his wife, Sonam, went missing during their honeymoon in the northeastern state. The couple was last seen on May 23. Later, on June 2, Raja's body was found in a gorge at Sohrarim near Cherrapunji in Meghalaya. Sonam Raghuvanshi was later found near a dhaba on the Varanasi-Ghazipur main road. After Sonam was found in Uttar Pradesh, the police officials sent her to Sadar Hospital for initial treatment. Now she is kept in the Sakhi One Stop Centre, a shelter for women who are victims of violence. Earlier in the day, the fourth accused, identified as Anand in the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case, was also sent to transit remand for 7 days.