A 16-year-old student from Kerala, who was on a group tour, has gone missing in the Chandradrona hill ranges in Karnataka’s Chikkamagaluru district, prompting a large-scale search operation involving multiple agencies, the police said Wednesday.
This comes after a woman from Kerala was reported missing on April 2 while she was trekking in the Tadiyandamol hill area in the state’s Kodagu district. Sharanya G S, 36, was found on the same hill three days later.
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According to the police, the missing Class 10 student, identified as Sreenandana, was part of a 40-member group, which included her parents. They said the group went to the Chandradrona ranges on Tuesday around 6.30 pm, when she reportedly went missing as darkness set in.
Intensified search operation
Initial search efforts by her companions failed to trace her, following which they alerted the police.
Teams comprising over 30 personnel from the Forest Department and Fire and Emergency Services launched a night-long search operation using torches. However, the operation was suspended around midnight due to dense fog, poor visibility, and the challenging terrain of the forested hilly area.
Senior police officers, including Additional Superintendent of Police Jayakumar, visited the spot and reviewed the search efforts. The operation resumed early Wednesday with over 50 personnel.
“We have intensified the search operation with multiple teams on the ground. Drones are being used to cover difficult terrain, and all possible routes are being thoroughly combed. Our priority is to trace the student at the earliest,” a senior police officer said.
BJP petition over Kodagu case
Days afterSharanya was found, local units of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) submitted a petition to the Napoklu police Tuesday, raising doubts over the circumstances of her disappearance. The party alleged that her condition after she was found appeared suspicious and called for a detailed probe into whether the incident had been staged.
The BJP also urged authorities to initiate legal action if any wrongdoing is established and to recover the expenditure incurred during the search operation in case the complaint is found to be fabricated.
The missing Kerala girl was part of a 40-member group, which included her parents. (File Photo) 
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