A Bengaluru-based family has vanished without a trace after staying at a resort near Bandipur in Karnataka’s Chamarajanagar district, prompting a large-scale search operation by police forces from Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.
According to a report by Indian Express, the missing individuals have been identified as 40-year-old J Nishanth, his wife Chandana, and their 10-year-old son.
The family checked into the Country Club resort on March 2 but mysteriously left the premises the following day, abandoning their belongings, the report added. Their car was last tracked to Mangala Road in the Bandipur forest region, but there has been no sign of them since.
As per the publication, the authorities have intensified their investigation, with Superintendent of Police BT Kavitha visiting the resort to assess the situation. Initial findings indicate that Nishanth had reserved the resort under a fake Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) ID, raising suspicions about his intentions.
Investigators suspect financial distress may have played a role in their disappearance, as Nishanth was reportedly struggling with heavy debts. Police are exploring multiple angles, including the possibility of an abduction by creditors or a deliberate effort to go into hiding.
The search operation is underway.
In another incident, in Karnataka’s Bellary district, a 45-year-old paediatrician was abducted in January by a gang demanding a ransom of ₹6 crore.
However, the doctors' abductors let him go after a few hours, leaving him with only ₹300 to return home.
Dr Sunil, who was on a morning walk in Suryanarayanapet, was seized by the gang around 6 am. The attackers, traveling in a Tata Indigo, dragged him into the car and sped away, as captured by nearby CCTV cameras.