Police Making All Efforts To Find Missing PU Student: Karnataka Govt Tells Assembly

The Karnataka government on Wednesday informed the state assembly that the police is investigating all aspects of the case and making every effort to locate a 17-year-old boy, who went missing last week from Mangaluru.

Minister for School Education Madhu Bangarappa said seven teams have been formed headed by Superintendent of Police (SP) in connection with the case.

Diganth, a second year pre-university course (PUC) student, and a resident of Kidebettu near Farangipete in Mangaluru, went missing on February 25.

A protest was held at Farangipete on Saturday, urging the government to take action.

Raising the matter in the Assembly, Speaker U T Khader pointed out that the missing boy Diganth is from his constituency.

"Investigation is going on in the case, I have spoken to the Home Minister, Minister for School Education. What is happening in this case? Family of the boy and locals are worried. I wan't the government to take maximum measures possible to find the boy," he said, demanding probe from all angles.

Responding to this, Minister Bangarappa assured that the government will ensure that investigation is being conducted from all angles and the boy's family is taken into confidence and all information is shared with them from time to time.

He said Diganth had gone to the college he was studying in to collect the hall ticket for the exams. After returning from college he had visited a temple at around 7.30 pm, following which he had been missing.

The government is in constant touch with the Superintendent of Police, he said. "His mobile phone and slippers were found near a railway track at a distance of 200 m. Searches have been made 2 km right, left and centre from this spot and drones were also used for searching, no dead body from the region or anywhere else have been found so far... I'm sharing this for the sake of information, not to create fear about any bad thing."

His mobile had a 16-digit security password, but officials were able to access it, the Minister said adding call detail record (CDR) has come and there is nothing suspicious.

Meanwhile, BJP MLA Sunil Kumar urged the government to take the issue seriously as it has been a few days since the boy had gone missing.

"He was active in Bhajana Mandalis and activities of various organizations, there was a Farangipete bandh following his missing...according to local media reports his slippers were found near railway track and there were blood stains on it... a special force should be formed to find the boy, if not the family's concern won't subside and it will also lead to lot of speculations. I urge the government to take immediate measures to find Diganth," he added.

BJP MLA Umanatha Kotian cited reports of suspicious movement of an SUV around the temple, which has been captured by CCTV cameras there.