How Aadhaar OTP Helped Find Missing 18-Year-Old Bengaluru Girl After 7 Months

A missing 18-year-old Bengaluru student was traced after seven months when her Aadhaar card was used to register for a government health scheme. An Aadhaar OTP helped investigators obtain a mobile number and trace the man she was staying with.

A second-year PU student from Bengaluru left for college one morning and never returned home, leaving her family desperately searching for answers. Despite filing a police complaint, the investigation initially yielded no clues, as the 18-year-old had neither her mobile phone nor ATM card with her, leaving investigators with little digital evidence to trace her whereabouts. Her family and the police searched across more than 10 cities, including Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi, across more than four states, but every lead ended in a dead end. After seven months, a single Aadhaar card OTP finally provided the breakthrough that helped investigators trace her.

The Missing Story

Tanishka, an 18-year-old from Vidyaranyapura in Bengaluru, left for college with a friend on January 31 and subsequently disappeared. When she failed to return home by evening, her worried parents began searching for her and soon filed a missing person’s complaint.

The investigation proved challenging as Tanishka had only her college bag and Aadhaar card with her. She had not carried her mobile phone or ATM card, leaving investigators without the usual digital and financial trails that could have helped establish her whereabouts.

A Search Across 100 Locations

A few days after Tanishka went missing, one of her friends received a call from an unfamiliar number. The caller claimed to be at Male Mahadeshwara Hills. Apart from this information, investigators had little to work with.

The Vidyaranyapura police registered a case and formed a 10-member team to investigate. Based on various leads, the team searched more than 100 locations but could not find any trace of Tanishka.

With the investigation failing to make progress, her parents approached the Karnataka High Court and filed a habeas corpus petition seeking information about her whereabouts.

A Turn Of Events At M.M. Hills

Following the High Court’s directive, the case was transferred to the CID in April. During the investigation, the CID found that Tanishka and her friend had initially travelled to Male Mahadeshwara Hills with the intention of ending their lives.

However, the two young women reportedly met two young men at the hills who stopped them and convinced them not to take the extreme step. Following this, Tanishka and her friend went their separate ways. Tanishka subsequently decided to stay with one of the young men she had met at the hills.

Aadhaar OTP Provides Breakthrough

A few months later, Tanishka decided to register for a government health scheme. She used her Aadhaar card to complete the registration and provided her partner’s name and mobile number in the application.

The registration process required Aadhaar-based verification through a one-time password (OTP). The CID team, which was monitoring Tanishka’s official records, was alerted when her Aadhaar was used for the new registration.

Investigators obtained the mobile number provided in the application and traced the man. After questioning him, the CID team finally located Tanishka, bringing an end to the seven-month search.