Bengaluru: The search for 15-year-old Malayali girl Sreenanda, who went missing in Chikkamagaluru, Karnataka, continues on the fourth day. Sreenanda, daughter of Ramesh from Palakkad, disappeared while on a tourist trip. Her family suspects she may have been drugged and abducted. Police have intensified the investigation, examining CCTV footage and other evidence from the area, and have not ruled out kidnapping.

Her mother, Renuka, said in an emotional appeal that she believes her daughter was taken while no one was around.

“It has been three nights. I want my child back somehow. I don’t believe she fell anywhere. I feel someone may have kidnapped her. I suspect she was drugged and taken away. When she reached Bengaluru, someone may have noticed her. When she went up alone, she might have been abducted. I want my child back as soon as possible,” she said.

The family has lodged a complaint with Chikkamagaluru North Police.

The crucial 15 minutes

Sreenanda went missing from a crowded tourist location. A group of 40 people had travelled to Chikkamagaluru for a tour. In a photograph taken with her family at 5:20 pm on Tuesday, she is seen standing behind them. However, in images captured at 5:35 pm, she is no longer visible. What happened in those 15 minutes remains unclear.

Baba Budangiri, known for its steep slopes, is a major tourist destination in Chikkamagaluru. Extensive searches are being carried out in the area. A 25-member team comprising police and forest officials had conducted searches over the past few days. Following instructions from the Karnataka Forest Minister, a 100-member special task force has now been deployed. Searches have also been conducted near Manikyadhara Falls, and a four-member team from the Kerala Police has joined the operation.

Police have identified that around nine vehicles left the parking area before 6 pm and are verifying registration details to determine who was inside them. Drone surveillance and ground searches are also ongoing.

The family had travelled to Chikkamagaluru from Hampi. Investigators are also exploring whether anyone may have followed the girl to the location. Her parents and a 15-member family team continue to remain at the site.