Class 10 Kerala girl who went missing near Datta Peetha during family trip found dead in gorge

CHIKKAMAGALUR: A 15-year-old girl, who went missing near the Manikyadhara waterfall, was found dead in a 300-foot-deep gorge about 5-km from Arishinaguppe after three days of search.

The body was found 1,500 feet deep in the gorge, about 5-km from Arishinaguppe. The police suspect it might be a case of suicide or an accident, as it’s unclear if she slipped and fell or intentionally jumped. The search operation, involving police, forest, fire, and SDRF teams, had been under way for three days.

The girl’s mother had reported her missing on Tuesday evening, saying she had been kidnapped. The search party, including 100 people, had been searching the area, and on Friday, more personnel were added to the search, including four policemen from Kerala who arrived to assist in the investigation.

On Friday, teams started searching from both the top and bottom of the hill. Thermal drones and dog squads were used to aid the search. The search teams covered the area from Mallenhalli and Arishinaguppe, and the police are investigating all possible angles. A case has been registered at the Rural police station and the authorities are trying to determine the exact circumstances of the girl’s death.

Shreenanda, hailing from Palakkad district in Kerala, had gone missing from Manikyadhara near Dattapeetha 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. Shreenanda was with them one moment and vanished the next while heading towards the waterfall.

Police Superintendent Jitendra Dayama said, “After retrieving the body, it will be sent for post-mortem examination. At the outset, it seems like she may have jumped for lost her footing, there seems to be no other possibility. We will ascertain the cause of death as part of our investigation. This is the first time we are seeing this kind of incident at this tourist spot.