A honeymoon murder, rise of a regional party, infrastructural push and crackdown on illegal coal extraction dominated headlines in Meghalaya this year. The killing of Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi allegedly by his wife and others grabbed national attention, with the police arresting multiple accused and filing a detailed charge sheet. The case fed into wider debates on policing capacity and the handling of high-visibility investigations. Meghalaya Police stated it was among the most resource-intensive probes in recent years, citing financial tracking and interstate coordination with agencies in Madhya Pradesh. Political currents shifted in tandem. The Voice of the People Party (VPP), which secured its maiden Lok Sabha win in 2024 by unseating three-term Congress MP Vincent H Pala in Shillong, consolidated its standing by sweeping the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council polls and forming the executive committee early this year. The outcome signalled a break from ...