K.R. Pet:  K.R. Pet Tahsildar Mahesh Chandra has gone missing since last night and he is suspected to have been kidnapped by miscreants after intercepting his vehicle on the Hassan-Mysuru Road near Saligrama. A pair of shoes and some shirt buttons were found lying below the vehicle, leading to suspicion that he has been kidnapped.

Mahesh Chandra had taken charge as K.R. Pet Tahsildar only last week after he was transferred from K.R. Nagar, where he had served for a year.

The officer left K.R. Pet in his personal Maruti Omni Van (KA-41-Z-1581) at about 9 pm yesterday for K.R. Nagar.

He had not vacated his official quarters as he had gone on a 3-day leave to take care of his ailing mother.

Mahesh Chandra’s Omni Van was found abandoned by the side of the road early this morning near Chikkavaddaragudi on Mysuru Hassan Road under Saligrama Police station limits. As Mahesh Chandra could not be reached on his mobile phone even after several hours, the Saligrama Police were informed by the office of the K.R. Pet Tahsildar about the matter.

The Police, who rushed to the spot on information that an Omni van has been found abandoned near Chikkavaddaragudi, found a few shirt buttons and a pair of shoes lying on the ground below the van. They also found the Tahsildar’s spectacles lying chose to the steering wheel, thus giving rise to suspicions that the Tahsildar may have been kidnapped by miscreants on his way to K.R. Nagar.

Police said that realising that he was being kidnapped, Mahesh Chandra would have struggled to escape and in the process, his shirt buttons gave away. Further investigation is on.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Arunamshu Giri, K.R. Nagar In-charge Tahsildar Likhita, Deputy Tahsildar Yadugirish, K.R. Pet Shirastedar Madegowda and other officials visited the spot.