Woman goes missing under mysterious circumstances in Belur, gold ornaments worth ₹30 lakh feared motive
Hassan: A 29-year-old woman who had travelled to attend a wedding has gone missing under mysterious circumstances in Belur town of Hassan district, triggering an intensive police search operation amid fears of foul play.
The missing woman, identified as Priyanka, is a native of Muttavara village in Belur taluk. She had come to Chikkamagaluru to attend a wedding on February 12 after travelling from Yaliyur village in Tumakuru district’s Kunigal taluk, where she lives with her husband Rudresh and their young son.
According to family members, after attending the wedding, Priyanka returned to her native village Muttavara. Later, she accompanied her mother to Kaimara village and subsequently boarded a bus to Belur. After getting down at Belur, she reportedly called her aunt Soumya and informed her that she had met some acquaintances and was going with them.
Before that, Priyanka had also called her husband Rudresh, asking him to come to Kunigal to pick her up. However, when Soumya tried calling her around 8.30 pm the same night, Priyanka’s phone was found switched off. When Rudresh, who had reached Kunigal expecting her arrival, tried contacting her, her phone remained unreachable.
Growing suspicious, the family contacted Soumya, who told them that Priyanka had mentioned meeting acquaintances. A missing complaint was initially taken to Belur police, who directed them to file it at Arehalli police station. A formal missing case has since been registered.
On Saturday morning, family members searched areas near Kalkere village in Hassan taluk. They discovered Priyanka’s inner garments and a slipper abandoned near a roadside stretch. A short distance away, her vanity bag was also found. The recovery of these personal belongings has intensified suspicions of abduction or murder.
Priyanka was reportedly wearing gold ornaments worth nearly ₹30 lakh, including a necklace, two chains, earrings, and a ring. Her family suspects that robbery could be the motive and that she may have been killed and her body disposed of in a nearby lake.
Superintendent of Police Shubhanitva, along with a scene-of-crime (SOCO) team and dog squad, visited the spot for inspection. A drone-assisted search operation is under way around the lake and surrounding areas. Police are also scanning CCTV footage along the route, as Priyanka’s phone signal was last traced near Kalkere.
The sudden disappearance has left the family in deep distress as investigations continue.
