Meghalaya

The Supreme Court on July 23 cancelled the bail granted to Sonam Raghuvanshi, who is accused of murdering her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, during their honeymoon in Meghalaya in 2025. A bench comprising Justices M M Sundresh and P B Varale allowed the Meghalaya government's plea challenging the bail order and directed Sonam to surrender before the police within three weeks. The apex court also observed that if the trial does not commence and conclude within six months, Sonam will be free to file a fresh bail application. Sonam, a resident of Indore in Madhya Pradesh, was arrested in June 2025 in connection with the murder of her husband, businessman Raja Raghuvanshi. The couple had gone missing after travelling to Sohra in Meghalaya on May 23, 2025, for their honeymoon. Raja's b...

The Meghalaya Legislative Assembly's Estimates Committee on July 22directed the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department to identify a new site for the stalled Pohkseh Water Supply Scheme after the project's pumping system collapsed a few years ago. The committee also said the first phase of the New Shillong Water Supply Scheme remains on track for completion by December 2027. The directions came during the committee's inspection of the Pohkseh Water Supply Scheme, the New Shillong Water Supply Scheme at Mawpdang and the 2nd IT Park Building at the Shillong Technology Campus. The inspection was led by committee chairman Mayralborn Syiem and attended by members Miani D Shira, Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar and Remington G Momin, along with officials from the Meghalaya Legislative Assemb...

BJP Meghalaya spokesperson Arnab Das has denied that the party endorses recent statements circulating on social media and reported by some media outlets, saying they are false. Das said the party had sought clarification from its Yuva Morcha president, who categorically denied making the alleged remarks. He added that statements attributed to social media accounts should be verified, citing previous instances of leaders’ accounts being hacked or misused. Das said the party’s official statements are issued through proper channels and rejected what he described as “irresponsible statements” being attributed to the BJP. He said BJP Meghalaya respects the fundamental right of students to protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, but accused other political parties of attempting to “hijack” the de...

Meghalaya has achieved 98.17 per cent distribution of enumeration forms under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with the Election Department expressing confidence that the exercise will be completed within the timeline set by the Election Commission of India (ECI). According to the CEO, BDR Tiwari 23,06,605 enumeration forms have been distributed out of the state’s 23,49,645 registered electors, while 14,07,446 forms, accounting for 62.15 per cent of the electorate, have already been digitised. The CEO said all ASDD cases will be processed in accordance with the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, following due verification and after providing concerned electors an opportunity to be heard wherever applicable. Tiwari said West Jaintia Hills, South ...

Chief Minister Shri Conrad K. Sangma met the Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Shri Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, on 21 July 2026 and sought the Centre's support to take forward a set of civil aviation projects aimed at improving air connectivity across Meghalaya. In each project the State Government has already completed its part of the work, and specific approvals and decisions from the Ministry will now allow them to move ahead. The foremost priority is the expansion of Shillong Airport at Umroi. The State has transferred the required 22 acres of land to the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the environmental clearance is in place, and AAI has awarded the runway expansion work. Once completed, the longer runway will allow larger aircraft such as the A320 to operate, opening the poss...

The Meghalaya government is considering the creation of a single authority to manage urban water supply systems, aiming to improve coordination, reduce delays and provide faster solutions to public complaints. The proposed reform is intended to eliminate overlapping responsibilities among multiple agencies involved in water distribution. Public Health Engineering (PHE) Minister Marcuise N Marak said the current system in urban areas such as Shillong and Tura often leads to delays in resolving issues because different departments share responsibility for various parts of the supply network. Speaking during the inauguration of the State-Level Jal Utsav 2026 under the theme “Celebrating Water, Securing Sources,” Marak said the government is exploring a unified approach based on the pri...

The Meghalaya High Court on Monday sought a detailed report from the state government on the roadmap for expansion of the runway at Shillong Airport. Hearing a PIL, the division bench of Chief Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice W Diengdoh directed the government to file an affidavit in this regard. Advocate General A Kumar, representing the State, requested time to file an affidavit explaining how the runway expansion will be undertaken. Allowing the request, the Court asked the State to file the affidavit before the next hearing. Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has said it is ready to grant execution-level clearance after the state approvals to the proposal. Joint Director, DGCA, B Bhushan, who appeared via video conferencing, told the Court th...

Amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Meghalaya and demands for a free and fair list, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has assured that not a single Indian will be left out of the electoral roll. Responding to a query from The Shillong Times during an informal discussion in New Delhi on measures to prevent Bangladeshi citizens from entering the rolls—especially given Meghalaya’s open border with Bangladesh—the CEC said, “I guarantee that not even a single Indian would be left out of the electoral roll.” However, Kumar declined to reveal the specific measures being taken by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to keep non-citizens out. Meghalaya shares a 443-km border with Bangladesh. While a major portion is fenced, the state has long been u...

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on July 18 launched the state's first block-level CM CONNECT Centre at Sohiong, alongside announcing and inaugurating development projects worth more than ₹140 crore across sectors including tourism, roads, water supply, agriculture and community infrastructure. The launch formed part of the CM CONNECT Block Level Community Interaction Programme, which brought together residents and government officials to discuss local issues and review development initiatives. In a departure from the usual practice, the Chief Minister invited retired 1st Assam Regiment personnel Pyntngenlang Nongrang to inaugurate the CM CONNECT Centre. Sangma then registered the first public grievance at the newly opened facility, which has been set up to enable residents ...

Meghalaya’s impressive run in international karate continued with two athletes winning medals at the10th Cadet, Junior, U-21 and Senior South Asian Karate Championship 2026 held in Dhaka, Bangladesh. According to the All Meghalaya Karate-Do Association (AMKA), Daniel Dabiangbha Warjri clinched thegold medal in the Boys’ Junior Individual Kumite (-68kg) category, while Gideon Tympuin secured thebronze medal in the Men’s U-21 Individual Kata event. The championship concluded on Sunday. Congratulating the medal winners, AMKA said the achievement reflects Meghalaya’s consistentexcellence in regional, national and international karate competitions. Both athletes qualified for the South Asian Championship following their outstanding performances atnational-level events earlier this yea...