According to the police, the two girls had left their mobile phones and ATM cards at home. They were carrying only their Aadhaar cards and college bags, making it difficult for investigators to establish their whereabouts.
Tanishka lived with her family in Bengaluru's Vidyaranyapura area and was a second-year PUC student. A few days after leaving home, the two girls reportedly called their friends and said they were at Male Mahadeshwara Hills. They said they would call again after about a week, but there was no further contact.
Following a complaint from the families, Vidyaranyapura police registered a missing-person case. A 10-member team searched more than 100 locations, but no concrete clue emerged. The family later approached the Karnataka High Court.
In April, the Karnataka High Court handed over the investigation to the CID. The CID began examining the circumstances surrounding the girls' disappearance, their movements after leaving home and their possible destinations.
According to the CID, the two girls first travelled to Mysuru and then visited temples in Chamarajanagar before reaching Male Mahadeshwara Hills. A senior officer said the two had initially gone there with the intention of ending their lives.
At Male Mahadeshwara Hills, they met two young men who stopped them from taking the step. The two girls subsequently left with the two men separately.
According to the police, the family of the young man who accompanied Tanishka accepted their relationship. The two later married at a temple and began living in a village in Kanakapura taluk. Tanishka did not have a mobile phone or SIM card, which made it difficult for investigators to trace her location.
The breakthrough came through her Aadhaar card. The CID knew that Tanishka had her Aadhaar with her. During the investigation, officers found that she had used her Aadhaar card to register for a government health scheme.
She had provided her husband's mobile number in the application, and an OTP had been sent to that number during the registration process. The CID traced the number and reached her husband. After questioning him, investigators located Tanishka.
After she was traced, the CID produced Tanishka before the High Court, which handed her over to her parents. According to the police, Tanishka is now pregnant.
The CID said Tanishka told investigators that her parents would scold her when she did not perform well in her studies. She also felt that her parents preferred her elder sister.
According to the police, the minor girl who went missing with Tanishka also said that she felt neglected at home. Police claimed that her parents allegedly wanted a son.
The CID has continued its search for the minor girl, whose whereabouts remain unknown.
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