V G Siddhartha disappearance: Coast Guard deploys ship off old Mangalore port to search for CCD founder

The Indian Coast Guard on July 30 said it has deployed a ship off the old Mangalore port to search for V G Siddhartha, the founder of the Café Coffee Day.

The Coast Guard said it has also pressed in three diving teams in the search operations.

Siddhartha, the son-in-law of former Karnataka chief minister S M Krishna, was reported to have gone missing after he left from Bengaluru on July 30 night, police said.

ICGS Rajdoot has been tasked to patrol off the old Mangalore Port and maintaining a sharp lookout very close to harbour mouth, while ICGS Savitribai Phule has been kept on standby.

"Air Cushion Vehicle (H-198) is undertaking search in Nethravathi River and providing support to CG diving teams. Three diving teams, along with the district disaster relief team, has been deputed to carry out search for the missing person," the Coast Guard said in a statement.

Siddhartha was headed for Sakleshpur, Karnataka, but on the way he had asked his driver to go towards Mangaluru, according to the police.

On reaching a bridge over the Netravati river in the Kotepura area in Dakshina Kannada district, he got down from the car and told his driver that he was going for a walk. It was then the driver contacted the police.