Class 10 Kerala girl student goes missing near Datta Peetha during family trip

CHIKKAMAGALUR: A 15-year-old Class 10 girl, hailing from Palakkad district in Kerala, went missing from Manikyadhara waterfall near Datta Peetha in Chikkamagalur while on a family vacation, on Tuesday.

The family, including her parents, grandparents, uncle and aunt, had visited the area and stopped at Manikyadhara waterfall. Shreenandha was with them one moment and vanished the next while heading towards the waterfall. Despite immediate searches by family members, she couldn’t be found.

The police, Forest department, and fire department teams with over 30 personnel searched for her till 1 am on Wednesday, but there was no trace of her.The search was resumed at 5 am on Wednesday with thermal drones and around 60 personnel from three departments, including the SDRF team, divided into five groups.

The area is rugged, steep, and densely forested, making the search challenging. The girl’s disappearance is mysterious, with no signs of rain or slippery conditions that could have led to an accident. The family is anxious, and the investigation is ongoing.

Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Dayama said, “Sreenanda had come with family members to Chikkamagalur on Tuesday. Around 5.30 pm, they visited the Manikyadhara waterfall when her parents realised that she was suddenly missing. They informed the police outpost around 8.30 pm and a search party set out around 9.30 pm using thermal imaging drones. Now, an SDRF team has also joined the search and about 60 people are on the job. We have registered a missing person’s case based on a complaint from the girl’s parents”.

The police are investigating all possibilities, including the possibility of the girl getting lost. The search operation is being led by the police and forest department teams, with the SDRF team providing additional support. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward.