Police clueless about missing legislator's wife

Udupi, June 14 (UNI) The clueless Udupi police continued their search to unfold the mysterious disappearance of the wife of Udupi MLA K Raghupathy Bhat who went missing from the district on June 10.

IGP (Western Range) A M Prasad told UNI today that efforts were on to locate Padmapriya (32). The search operations at Kunjargiri where the car driven by the legislators wife, abandoned with jewels, cash and her cell phone in tact, was being persued.

The woman had told her husband, who was in Bangalore at that time, that she was going to parent's house in Karnad near Mulky. But the car was found abandoned yesterday.

He said that based on information, the search had been intensified interior areas of Kunjargiri on the second day today.

The police were unable to come to any conclusion as to whether it was a case of kidnapping or it involved the hand of naxalites who are having presence in the district.

He said that a special police team comprising of two DySPs and three Circle Inspectors had been formed who are investigating the case.

Meanwhile, Mr. Bhat who was in depressed mood in his house at Karambally said that he was still unable come out of the shock over the incident.

Asked why he did not called his wife despite she went missing on June 10, he said, "When she used to go to her mother's house, I usually did not call her over telephone but usually she used to call me. Now I have left it to the god and the police. I hope she would be traced soon." Padmapriya who left her house on Wednesday last did not return to her husband's house nor reached her mother's house.

When police, based on a complaint of an assault case on an auto driver by some unidentified persons at Kunjargiri visited the place yesterday, found the abandoned car parked since last three days.

The police broke open the glass window. The police also found a bag, broken bangles, jewels and some cash inact near the driver's seat.

They also found some blood stains on the seat. On verifying it was found that the car was belonged to the wife of Mr. Bhat.

UNI MA RS SKB2021