'Shillong is not what they said': Locals relieved as truth behind murder plot unfolds

National News: There was a time when the couple Raja Raghuvanshi and Sonam were considered an ideal. But now the same jodi has become the center of a heartbreaking incident. Raja's murder and Sonam's arrest have shocked not only the family but also the society of Shillong, located thousands of kilometers away. Till Sunday night, it was being considered a robbery, but on Monday morning the layers of truth were exposed.

Flood of rumors on social media after Sonam's arrest

Immediately after the incident, there was an atmosphere of panic in Shillong. People on social media started calling it an organized crime. Many posts claimed that "tourists are disappearing in Shillong and their organs are being smuggled." Some even dragged the name of Bangladeshi gangs. Locals were hurt by these rumors and felt that their quiet and beautiful city was being defamed.

Setback to tourism industry, disappointment among taxi drivers and shopkeepers

Tourism is the biggest source of employment in Shillong. While usually fewer tourists come in the month of May, this time there was a huge crowd. But the news of the disappearance and then murder of the Indore couple changed everything. Taxi driver Uday Kumar says, "Every single day of our income is precious. After this incident, tourists are scared, and our business has come to a standstill."

'Our Shillong is not like this': Locals demand truth and peace

Shillong resident Anebolen says that when Sonam's conspiracy was revealed, people heaved a sigh of relief. "We wanted the truth to come out so that the image of our state remains safe. Crime is very low here. This outside incident was defaming us." Many people are now appealing to get Shillong out of the image of criminals.

Demand for Inner Line Permit gains momentum; monitoring of outsiders is necessary

This incident has once again fueled the demand for the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system in Meghalaya. Local resident Ferdinand says, "Now the time has come to control the movement of outsiders." This case is a warning that we have to monitor our borders so that such crimes do not happen again in the future."