Karnataka CID takes over Bengaluru missing girl students' case entering 3rd month
Synopsis
Two Bengaluru girl students — Thaniska, 19, and Tejasvini, 17 — have been missing since 31 January 2025, and despite a 10-member special team travelling across seven states, police have no confirmed location. The Karnataka government has now handed the case to the CID after families moved the High Court, which has given police just one week to produce results.
Key Takeaways
Karnataka government transferred the missing students' case to the CID on 29 April 2025 , nearly three months after the girls vanished.
Thaniska R. (19, Class 12) and Tejasvini (17, Class 11) went missing from MS Palya, Yelahanka Layout, Bengaluru on 31 January 2025 .
A 10-member special team has searched across Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Varanasi, West Bengal, Kerala and other locations with no breakthrough.
The girls reportedly had only ₹3,000 and are not using mobile phones or ATM cards, making tracking extremely difficult.
Families filed a habeas corpus petition in the Karnataka High Court , which has given police one week to trace the students.
Police believe the girls are alive and together, as no unidentified bodies matching their description have been found.
The Karnataka government on Wednesday, 29 April 2025, transferred the case of two missing girl students — Thaniska R., 19, and Tejasvini, 17 — to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), as the search enters its third month with no confirmed trace of the duo. The case was originally registered at the Vidyaranyapura police station in Bengaluru after the students disappeared on 31 January 2025.
How the Girls Went Missing
Both students left their homes in MS Palya, Yelahanka Layout, Bengaluru, ostensibly heading to college on 31 January but never returned. Probe findings indicate they carried their Aadhaar cards to avail free travel on Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses. Thaniska is a Class 12 (II PUC) student, while Tejasvini is in Class 11 (I PUC). Investigators initially suspected fear of examinations may have prompted their departure, though that theory has not been confirmed.
Key Developments in the Investigation
A 10-member special police team from Vidyaranyapura has travelled across multiple states — including Mumbai, Chennai, Coimbatore, New Delhi, Varanasi, Chamarajanagar, parts of West Bengal, and Mysuru — in the search. A separate team has been stationed in Kerala to gather leads. Authorities have obtained CCTV footage showing the girls walking in a public place, but have been unable to pinpoint their current location.
At one stage, police received information that the students were reportedly spotted near Mahadeshwara Hills in Chamarajanagar district, which borders Tamil Nadu and Kerala. By the time officers reached the area, the girls had allegedly moved on. A few days after their disappearance, the two reportedly contacted friends, claiming they were at Male Mahadeshwara Hills and would call again within a week. No communication has been received from them since.
What Makes the Case Complex
According to police, the investigation has grown increasingly difficult because the girls are not using mobile phones or ATM cards, and have made no contact with parents or friends after the brief call. They reportedly had only ₹3,000 on them when they went missing. Police have stated that no unidentified bodies matching their description have been found, leading investigators to believe the girls are still absconding.
Court Intervention and CID Transfer
The families of both students had filed a habeas corpus petition before the Karnataka High Court, urging the state to hand the case over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The court has reportedly granted police one week to trace the missing students. The state government, however, has transferred the case to the CID rather than the CBI. Police continue to appeal to the public to share any information about the two girls, noting that they are believed to be together.
What Happens Next
With the CID now at the helm, investigators are expected to widen the probe, including deeper analysis of CCTV footage, coordination with transport authorities, and inter-state intelligence sharing. The families remain distraught and are continuing their public appeal for any leads. The Karnataka High Court's deadline adds fresh urgency to a case that has already stretched across three months and multiple states.
Point of View
Seven states, and a 10-member special team — and still no confirmed location. The transfer to the CID, rather than the CBI as families demanded, raises a pointed question: is this an administrative upgrade or a deflection of accountability? The case exposes a structural gap in how Indian police handle long-duration missing-person cases involving minors — inter-state coordination remains reactive rather than proactive, and digital surveillance tools appear underutilised when subjects voluntarily go off-grid. The High Court's one-week deadline is a rare instance of judicial pressure forcing pace, but without a coordinated national-level search mechanism, timelines like these risk becoming symbolic rather than operational.
NationPress
1 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the two missing students from Bengaluru?
The missing students are Thaniska R. , a 19-year-old Class 12 (II PUC) student, and her friend Tejasvini , a 17-year-old Class 11 (I PUC) student. They went missing from MS Palya, Yelahanka Layout, Bengaluru on 31 January 2025 after leaving home for college.
Why has the case been transferred to the CID?
The Karnataka government transferred the case to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on 29 April 2025 after nearly three months with no breakthrough. The families had petitioned the Karnataka High Court seeking a CBI probe, but the state opted for a CID transfer instead.
What has the Karnataka High Court ordered in this case?
The Karnataka High Court, responding to a habeas corpus petition filed by the families, has reportedly granted police one week to trace the missing students. The court's deadline adds fresh urgency to the investigation.
Why is the case so difficult to crack?
Investigators say the case is complex because the girls are not using mobile phones or ATM cards, making digital tracking impossible. They have also not contacted parents or friends since a brief call shortly after disappearing, and reportedly had only ₹3,000 when they went missing.
Where have police searched for the missing students?
A 10-member special team has travelled to Mumbai, Chennai, Coimbatore, New Delhi, Varanasi, Chamarajanagar, parts of West Bengal, and Mysuru. A separate team has been stationed in Kerala. Police once received a tip placing the girls near Mahadeshwara Hills in Chamarajanagar district, but they had moved on by the time officers arrived.
