Bengaluru Girl, 18, Missing For Over 7 Months Traced Using Aadhaar OTP

A second-year PUC student who went missing from Bengaluru in January was traced earlier this week after more than seven months through an Aadhaar-linked OTP, police said.

The 18-year-old, who went missing from Vidyaranyapura on January 31, was traced to a village in Kanakapura taluk, where she was found living with a man she had married, they said.

A senior CID officer said the girl was married and pregnant but did not divulge further details.

According to police, the girl had left home along with a minor friend, telling her family that they were going to college. The two did not carry their mobile phones or other belongings, except their Aadhaar cards and college bags.

They later travelled to Male Mahadeshwara Hills and subsequently parted ways, police said, adding that multiple teams had been working to trace them.

The CID took over the investigation in April following a Karnataka High Court order on a habeas corpus petition filed by the girl's parents.

Earlier this week, investigators found that she had recently used her Aadhaar details and entered her husband's mobile number to receive an OTP, the official said.

However, it was not clear what service the Aadhaar details were used for. Police said they would not divulge further details of the investigation at this stage until the other missing girl was traced.

Police traced the mobile number to her husband and, after questioning him, located the girl.

The girl was subsequently handed over to her parents after being produced before the High Court, police said, adding that efforts were on to trace the minor girl, who remains missing.

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