Steephan Kayyar

Daijiworld Media Network - Kasargod

Kasargod, Mar 9: A student who had been missing for three weeks and an auto-rickshaw driver were found dead, hanging from a tree in a forested area near Kayyar Mandekapu under the Kumble police station limits.

The deceased have been identified as Shreya (15), daughter of Priyesh and Chandraavathi of Mandekapu, and auto driver Pradeep (42). Their bodies were discovered around 10:30 am on Sunday, approximately half a kilometer from Shreya's house.

Following Shreya’s sudden disappearance on the night of February 11, Pradeep was also reported missing, leading to suspicions that they might have fled together. Based on a missing person complaint, the police had been investigating the case. However, as weeks passed without any clues, a search operation was intensified on Saturday, focusing on the forested area near Shreya’s house. The bodies were found hanging from the same tree using a nylon rope.

Two mobile phones and a knife were recovered from the scene. Investigators had earlier traced mobile tower locations and conducted searches in and around the house and nearby forests. Police had also visited Pradeep’s relatives in Madikeri as part of the probe.

Kumble police have conducted an inspection at the spot. Shreya was a Class 10 student at a local school.