Put me in prison but I won't return: Techie who went missing from Bengaluru reveals domestic struggles

Fresh developments have come forth in the missing tech professional case, wherein 37-year-old Vipin Gupta from Bengaluru was previously reported missing and then located at a mall in Noida, Uttar Pradesh more than ten days later. Gupta was last seen on August 4, prompting his wife to file a missing persons report at the Kodigehalli Police Station in Bengaluru.

He was located by police after he activated a new SIM card in Noida, helping authorities trace his whereabouts, The Times of India reported. Initially, the police struggled to find him despite reviewing hundreds of CCTV feeds from bus stands, railway stations and the airport

On Wednesday, the techie bought a new SIM card in Noida and used it in his old phone, which allowed officers to track him down. The police approached him as he exited a mall, the report stated. According to a senior officer, “When three of us surrounded him, he realised we were cops in civil clothes. He smiled and asked what next? We told him we should fly back to the city and he strongly objected.”

After several hours of persuasion, the techie reluctantly agreed to return with the officers, primarily to resolve the missing person report filed by his wife. "You put me in prison, I will live there...but I won't return," Gupta told the officers repeatedly, as quoted in the publication.

The techie and the police arrived at the Kempegowda International Airport on Friday morning. After a brief rest, he gave a statement to the police and was allowed to go home. During questioning, he revealed that he has been facing severe domestic issues. He described his wife's “controlling” behaviour, noting that he was subjected to harsh criticism over minor issues and restricted in his personal freedom.

"I'm her second husband. When I met her around three years back, she was a divorcee with a daughter aged around 12. I was a bachelor and agreed to marry her. We have an eight-month-old daughter together. She curtails my freedom, she shouts even if a drop of rice or a piece of chapati falls off my plate. I should dress according to her, I cannot go out alone to enjoy tea,” the techie told police.

To avoid detection after his wife announced his disappearance online with pictures and videos, the techie had shaved his head and altered his appearance. He informed the police that he had travelled to Tirupati, Bhubaneswar, Delhi and finally Noida since August 4.