An 18-year-old second-year pre-university college student who went missing from Bengaluru in January has been located after more than seven months through an Aadhaar-linked one-time password system, state police officials confirmed. The breakthrough in the high-profile missing persons investigation occurred when investigators traced a digital verification request back to a mobile number belonging to the individual she had married.
The young woman had departed from her residence in Vidyaranyapura on January 31 under the pretext of attending classes, accompanied by a minor female companion. According to law enforcement agencies, the two students left behind their personal mobile phones and belongings, carrying only their identification documents and college bags. The investigation shifted jurisdiction to the Crime Investigation Department in April following a habeas corpus petition filed by the girl's parents before the Karnataka High Court.
The habeas corpus petition brought by the family compelled the Karnataka High Court to intervene, leading to the transfer of the case to the Crime Investigation Department. Multiple dedicated police teams had been operating across various jurisdictions to locate the two teenagers since their departure from Vidyaranyapura in late January. Investigators established that the girls initially travelled to the Male Mahadeshwara Hills pilgrimage site before ultimately parting ways.
The involvement of specialized state investigators injected renewed momentum into a search that had stalled for months due to the absence of active digital devices. Because both students had deliberately left their smartphones behind, conventional electronic surveillance methods yielded few early leads. The transition to specialized state oversight ensured that alternative forensic and identification pathways were systematically explored to locate the missing student.
The decisive breakthrough in the multi-month search materialized earlier this week when investigators monitored a digital footprint tied to the student's unique identification number. Authorities discovered that the 18-year-old had recently utilized her Aadhaar details and routed an authentication OTP to a mobile number linked to her husband. Law enforcement officials did not publicly specify the precise commercial or administrative service that prompted the Aadhaar authentication request.
By tracking the destination of the security code, cyber and field units identified the mobile number and subsequently questioned the individual who received it. This line of inquiry led police directly to a remote village located within Kanakapura taluk. Upon arrival, officers confirmed that the missing student was residing in the village alongside her husband.
Following her discovery in Kanakapura taluk, the young woman was produced before the Karnataka High Court by law enforcement personnel. In accordance with judicial directions, she was subsequently handed over to the custody of her parents. A senior Crime Investigation Department officer stated that the recovered student was married and pregnant, though officials declined to disclose additional personal details regarding her situation.
the parallel search operation to locate her minor friend, who parted ways with her early in the timeline, remains active. Police emphasized that investigative efforts are ongoing to trace the second missing teenager. Authorities noted that further operational details concerning the wider case will be withheld until the minor companion is successfully located and secured.
