An 18-year-old Bengaluru student who had been missing for more than seven months has been traced after investigators followed an unexpected digital lead connected to her Aadhaar details.
The case began in January and involved an extensive search across several locations before the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) finally found a breakthrough.
Student Disappeared on Her Way to College
The second-year PUC student went missing from Bengaluru’s Vidyaranyapura area on January 31. According to police, she had told her family that she was going to college and left home with a minor friend.
The two girls reportedly carried their Aadhaar cards and college bags but left their mobile phones and other belongings behind, making the investigation particularly difficult.
Search Extended Across Multiple Locations
After a missing-person case was registered, police teams searched numerous locations in Karnataka and other parts of the country. The girls had reportedly contacted friends after leaving home and mentioned being at Male Mahadeshwara Hills.
When the initial investigation failed to produce a breakthrough, the student’s parents approached the Karnataka High Court through a habeas corpus petition.
The court subsequently directed the CID to take over the investigation in April.
An Unexpected Digital Clue
The turning point came when investigators discovered that the missing student had recently used her Aadhaar details in a transaction that generated an OTP.
During the process, a mobile number belonging to her husband was reportedly provided to receive the OTP. Investigators traced that number and followed the lead to identify her whereabouts.
Student Found in Kanakapura
The investigation eventually led CID officials to a village in Kanakapura taluk. Police found the student living there with a man whom she had married.
A senior CID officer said she was also pregnant. After being produced before the Karnataka High Court, she was handed over to her parents.
Another Girl Still Missing
The case, however, is not completely resolved. The minor girl who had left Bengaluru with the student remains untraced.
Investigators are continuing their efforts to determine her whereabouts, making the search an ongoing priority for the CID.
How Digital Records Can Aid Investigations
The case highlights how everyday digital transactions can sometimes provide important investigative leads when traditional methods fail.
Although the student had left without a mobile phone, an Aadhaar-linked transaction eventually created a connection to a phone number that investigators could pursue. The digital trail became the missing link in a case that had remained unresolved for months.
Investigation Continues
The successful tracing of the 18-year-old marks an important development, but authorities still have to locate her missing minor companion.
The case demonstrates the increasingly important role of digital records in modern investigations, particularly when conventional searches fail to establish a person’s whereabouts.