Bengaluru: The body of VG Siddhartha, the founder of the popular chain Café Coffee Day and son-in-law of former Karnataka Chief Minister SM Krishna, has been found, two days after he went missing from a bridge near Mangaluru in Karnataka.
The body was found at around 6:30 this morning on the banks of the Netravati river.
“We found the body early morning today. It needs to be identified; we have already informed the family members. We are shifting the body to Wenlock Hospital. We will continue further investigation,” Mangaluru Police Commissioner Sandeep Patil said.
VG Siddhartha was last seen on the bridge over the Netravati river in the coastal town Monday evening, according to the police. In his statement to the police, Mr Siddhartha’s driver Basavaraj Patil said they were going to Sakleshpur from Bengaluru in a Toyota Innova – a 220-km drive – when the businessman asked him to turn towards Mangaluru.
As they approached a bridge near Mangaluru, the businessman asked the driver to stop the car and got down from the vehicle. Mr Patil, in the statement, said Mr Siddhartha asked him to drive towards the other end of the bridge and wait there.
Days before he went missing, Mr Siddhartha, 60, had reportedly written a letter to board members and employees of Cafe Coffee Day. The letter – accessed by news agency ANI – alleges harassment by an income tax officer and expresses regret for not being able to create “the right profitable business”.
He also said that he was under “tremendous pressure” from one of “the private equity partners.