Mangaluru: The search operation for V G Siddharatha, Cafe Coffee day founder-chairman and entrepreneur, who went missing on Monday evening from the Nethravathi bridge near Ullal was halted on Tuesday evening, owing to poor visibility and strong currents.
Dakshina Kannada district Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil informed that conducting search operation in river Nethravathi and at the estuary was precarious because of the prevailing conditions. Hence, search operation has been stopped and it will be resumed on Wednesday at around 6 am.
Search operation was launched soon after the incident came to light on Monday night. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), local fishermen, divers and expert search operation personnel and swimmers were pressed into action, but they could not succeed in tracing the missing tycoon.
However, Commissioner of Police Sandeep Patil informed that police equipped with special lights will be deployed on the right and left banks of the river.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil has informed that the search ops would continue on a limited level.
He has said that the ICGS Savitribai Phule, Fast Patrol Vessel would be deployed for night patrol off the Old Mangalore Port and would have a sharp vigil close to harbour. A 75 ACV Sqn would be kept on standby to augment the ICG search teams. Hovercraft would be tasked with day light break for search mission.
DC Senthil said that the ICG diving teams were on standby at District Headquarters – 3 for immediate deployments to undertake any search and a ICGS Kasturba Gandhi would also be kept on standby for deploying off Old Mangalore Port at short notice.
Due to weather conditions, rains and bad light, the search ops came to a halt. As MLA U T Khader got the information that the search ops came to a halt, he rushed to the spot and took the officials on spot to task.
He immediately ordered for the search ops to resume, after which the teams began with lights on.
According to the officials the search ops would once again come to halt late at night and resume from 6 in the morning, tomorrow.
