A valley of Cauvery is turning out to be a trap for trekkers. From almost the very place that a trekker went missing in February 2014, three holidaymakers have now gone missing. The three students left their homes on April 2 for a fun trek. Almost 10 days since, there have been no whereabouts of the trio.
Anil Kumar and Mahadev (final year Bachelor of Business Management students), and Jagadish (a final year Bachelor of Commerce student) from Hanur in Kollegal district ventured into the nearby Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, a protected area that spreads across Mandya, Chamarjanagar and Ramanagar districts.
The three friends headed into the forest wanting to make the most of the extended weekend beginning with Mahaveer Jayanthi. They are supposed to have travelled 30 kilometres before going missing. For their parents waiting at home for their return, anxiety turned to worry when the trio did not turn up even the next day.
Anil’s father Mahadev said, “Initially we thought my son may have gone either to a relative’s or his friend’s home for a stay over. It was only the next day that we got to know that they had gone trekking.
Anil Kumar’s mother, Shobha Mahadev, is a former president of Hanur Town Panchayat.
Investigations have revealed that the three are good trekkers. The worrying factor, however, is that this stretch of forest area was once rendered infamous by forest brigand Veerappan. The Cauvery Wild-life Sanctuary is spread across 1,027 sq km. The area is also home to several wild animals including elephants, leopards and mountain wolves.
Another angle the police are looking at is if the trekkers got attracted by the pristine beauty of the Cauvery. The stretch of the river between Mekedaatu and Biligundlu are is home to the Mugger crocodile and various species of snakes.
Access to food is also minimal with few villages in the area. Police say search in a forest is a difficult task, despite availing assistance of locals.
