The Meghalaya government on Friday decided to strengthen an existing legislation aimed at ensuring the safety of state residents in the wake of the murder of Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi.

Chief minister Conrad Sangma said: “The cabinet today decided to revisit the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA) in light of the recent unfortunate incident in Sohra.”

“The aim is to further strengthen the act to better prevent criminal activities carried out under the guise of tourism. This decision reflects our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of residents, while continuing to welcome genuine tourists to our state,” Sangma added.

The Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act, 2016, was introduced by the state government to enhance security vetting of tenants and to ensure the safety of citizens.

It mandates tenant verification and regulation, the establishment of district task forces and facilitation centres, and the effective enforcement of safety laws.

In September 2022, the state government launched the MRSSA portal to bolster its implementation. However, pressure groups have long alleged that the act has not been effectively enforced.

Though the government has not spelled out specific amendments, tourism minister Paul Lyngdoh said the act would be strengthened in light of the Sohra incident to curb the entry of criminals “in the guise of tourists”. He said the government would soon come up with a formal proposal to give the act more teeth.

Sangma announced the cabinet’s decision following a meeting held on Friday afternoon. Around the same time, the Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisations staged a dharna in front of the state secretariat, demanding the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP).

The ILP is a time-bound travel document to visit restricted areas in the country. The confederation argued that the implementation of ILP could help prevent incidents like Raghuvanshi’s murder.

Raja and Sonam Raghuvanshi visited Sohra on May 22 for their honeymoon. The couple went missing on May 23, shortly after checking out of their homestay. Raja’s body was recovered from the gorge on June 2, prompting the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which arrested the five accused — Sonam, 25, her alleged boyfriend Raj Kushwaha, and the three others — with assistance from the Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh police.