Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava on Wednesday said that he regrets if strong local reactions in Indore regarding the murder of businessman Raja Raghuvanshi in Meghalaya have negatively impacted the North-Eastern state`s image or its tourism, reported by PTI.
The Mayor also acknowledged the unfortunate nature of Raghuvanshi`s murder and affirmed that tourists remain safe in the North-East.
According to Meghalaya Police, Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, 29, was allegedly murdered as part of a conspiracy involving his 25-year-old wife Sonam and her alleged lover, Raj Kushwaha, 20. The duo reportedly hired three assailants to carry out the killing. Raja Raghuvanshi and Sonam had married in Indore on May 11 and subsequently went missing on May 23 during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, PTI reported.
Raghuvanshi`s body was discovered on June 2 in a deep gorge near a waterfall in the Sohra area (also known as Cherrapunji) of East Khasi Hills district, according to PTI. Sonam and her associates were recently apprehended in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, and Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, for their alleged involvement in the conspiracy and murder of Raghuvanshi.
Following the disappearance of the newly married couple, many residents in Indore reacted strongly, questioning the Meghalaya Police`s investigation and the general safety of tourists in the North-Eastern state.
Referring to these reactions, Mayor Bhargava told PTI, “If for any reason the image or tourism of Meghalaya or any other area of the north-east has been affected, then I express regret over it.” He commended the Meghalaya Police for their prompt action in solving the murder case within a few days, for which he expressed gratitude.
“I myself have lived in the north-east for some time and believe tourism is safe there. We all should take care that tourism in Meghalaya is not affected in any way,” he said. The Mayor emphasised that Raja Raghuvanshi`s murder was an unfortunate isolated incident and should not be linked to any particular place.
“This incident is a matter of introspection for us. We will communicate with the local people through various programmes so that they stay away from blindly following the western culture and such incidents do not occur in future.”
(With inputs from PTI)