Meghalaya police reenact Cherrapunji murder scene, trace sequence behind Raja Raghuvanshi’s killing

In a major development in the investigation into the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi, the Meghalaya Police on Tuesday carried out a detailed reconstruction of the crime scene at Wei Sawdong Falls near Sohra, where the young man was brutally killed.

The exercise, led by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), provided crucial insight into the series of events that unfolded on the day of the murder. The SIT, under the supervision of East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem, brought the accused back to the scene to reenact the crime.

Advertisement

Investigators retraced the accused’s movements from the parking area to the viewpoint above the waterfall, identifying each suspect’s exact position and actions leading up to the killing.

According to SP Vivek Syiem, the murder involved three fatal blows delivered in succession by the accused — first by Vishal, then Anand, and finally Akash.

During the reenactment, the accused demonstrated how the weapons were used and where they were discarded. Notably, one of the murder weapons a machete remains unaccounted for, and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) has been deployed to search the surrounding areas for its recovery.

The reconstruction also included the sequence of events related to the destruction of the victim’s mobile phone. The accused revealed that Sonam was the first to damage the phone, with further attempts to destroy it made by Vishal.

The SIT covered all key locations — from the arrival at the site, the murder itself, disposal of evidence, and the accused’s escape route — to reconstruct the full chronology of the incident.

Raja Raghuvanshi, a young visitor from outside the state, was found dead near the picturesque Wei Sawdong Falls earlier this month. His killing sent shockwaves through Meghalaya and led to intensified scrutiny over tourist safety and the presence of outsiders in the state’s remote natural sites.

The brutality of the crime, coupled with its occurrence in a well-known tourist destination, has triggered public outrage and prompted the state government to revisit safety protocols for tourists and the regulatory scope of the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA).

The reenactment marks a critical phase in the investigation, with police preparing to file a comprehensive chargesheet in the coming weeks.