MYSURU: The tahsildar of KR Pet Taluk went missing for nearly 24 hours, sending the administration into a tizzy, with Mysuru and
Mandya districts launching a massive search operation. His car was found abandoned in KR Nagar taluk in Mysuru, some 40km from KR Pet, where he lives with his family. Adding to the mystery were his shoes and the buttons of his shirt strewn on a road near the car.
K Mahesh Chandra, who had taken charge at KR Pet taluk in Mandya on July 22, returned to his office on Friday evening and said he had been waylaid and abducted but was released soon after. Police said the tahsildar will be questioned further.
Chandra was earlier tahsildar of KR Nagar taluk where he and his family continue to live. On Thursday, Chandra attended a meeting called by the assistant commissioner at Pandavapura taluk in
Mandya district in the morning. He then participated in a Janaspandana programme at KR Pet and was to return home. When he did not make it by night, family members informed police. They had called several times but his mobile phone was switched off.
Search teams fanned out and police found his Maruti Omni abandoned at Chikkavaddaragudi village on the Mysuru-Hassan highway in KR Nagar. The keys were in the ignition and his shoes were on the road. What appeared to be shirt buttons were also found on the road, indicating a struggle. Police suspected he had been waylaid and abducted. Mysuru SP Amit Singh, Mandya SP Radhika and other police officers visited the spot.
An officer from the KR Nagar taluk office said, "Chandra had served as tahsildhar of KR Nagar for a year and was staying with his family in KR Nagar town in a rented house. He was travelling daily to KR Pet taluk for work in his car and used to drive back home after the work in the night."
While investigations were on, the tahsildar reappeared in his office in KR Pet on Friday evening. Police reached the office and took him to KR Nagar for questioning. Chandra told police he was returning home in his car when he was waylaid and abducted. The criminals dropped him at Tendekere village in KR Pet and escaped, he said.
"We had formed 10 teams to trace the officer. We will find out whether the disappearance was related to personal or professional issues," Mysuru SP Amit Singh said.
Mandya deputy commissioner N Manjushree said Chandra took charge as KR Pet taluk tahsildar on July 22. "He had applied for two days' leave on Friday and Saturday to take his mother for Ayurvedic treatment in Udupi. I was shocked on being told he was abducted," she said.
K Mahesh Chandra
