Hungarian tourist found dead at Meghalaya’s Mawsahew, govt says ‘no foul play’

Shillong: The body of a Hungarian man, who went missing a couple of days ago, was found at Mawsahew village near Sohra (Cherrapunjee) in East Khasi Hills district. Deputy chief minister, in-charge home (police), Prestone Tynsong, on Friday said the death of tourist, identified as Puskas Zsolt involved no foul play.
"Very unfortunate, he had an accident in a river. There was no such foul play at all," Tynsong told reporters.
Tynsong said tourists visiting Meghalaya are regularly warned to exercise caution around rivers and their adjoining areas. "You can't treat the water of plain belts and hilly areas as the same; it's totally different. We request tourists to be cautious while swimming or exploring riverbeds," he said.
Zsolt's decomposed body was discovered on Thursday. The police said preliminary findings showed no evidence of foul play. "His money and mobile – everything is intact. At this juncture, no foul play can be inferred, but the post-mortem report will clarify further," East Khasi Hills SP Vivek Syiem said.
Zsolt arrived in Shillong on March 29, checked into a hotel in the Laitumkhrah locality at around 3:45pm, and checked out the next day at around 9am. After taking a local taxi to Mawsahew village, he began trekking alone, heading towards Nongriat.
Local children reportedly saw him near Mawkawir and Ramdait, SP Syiem added. The Hungarian embassy informed local police about Zsolt's disappearance on April 2, initiating extensive search operations across several villages, including Ramdait, Mawsahew, and Mawkawir, where a cave is also located.
"On April 2, we received information that the person had gone missing. From that day, search parties were deployed," the SP said.
Search teams, aided by personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Drone Centre, conducted extensive searches. "On Thursday, at around 1:30pm, we found Zsolt's along a little-used trail," SP said.
"The body was preserved overnight, and the post-mortem and inquest were conducted at the site this morning. The forensic science laboratory team has registered a case," the SP said.
"We are in touch with the Hungarian embassy, and they will inform us whether the family will take custody of his remains or if final rites will proceed locally," the SP said.