Padmapriya's family is in the dark

KARNAD (DAKSHINA KANNADA DISTRICT): The uncertainty over what may have happened to Padmapriya, wife of Udupi MLA K Raghupathi Bhat, missing since June 10, has left her parents, two brothers and a sister shell-shocked.
Kallur Mane, a traditional Shivally Brahmin house in Karnad village situated near Kolnad Industrial Estate, two kms from Mulky town, wore a tense look.
Except for a few close relatives, a couple of police vehicles and some police officials in plain clothes, nobody was present at Padmapriya's parents' house in the morning.
Her father Damodar Rao (56) and mother Prema Rao (51) were reluctant to talk to mediapersons. Her two younger brothers, Rajashekar and Sudarshan, and sister Radhika were composed and by their parents' side.
A small-time agriculturist, Rao spoke to the Times of India after much persuasion. He said Padma spoke with her mother on June 9 and told her she would be home the next day.
She was supposed to bring medicine from Udupi for her mother when she came home, he said. Rao said he was not aware of any serious misunderstanding between Padma and Raghupathi. "On the eve of filing his nomination papers, Raghupathi came with Padma to us and sought our blessings." When asked why he or his wife Prema did not contact Padma when she did not turn up as planned, Rao said they tried to contact her on the landline but the phone was not working.
Rao said: "The moment the news broke that she was missing and her car was found near Kunjalgiri with her belongings, it came as a tremendous shock to us."
Padma's maternal uncles Gururaja Rao and Harikrishna Rao said: "Padma, though not a very bright student, was a very courageous girl. She was good at sports and games. She represented Vijaya College, Mulky, in volleyball."
Rajashekar, who works as a branch head of Raghupathi's vehicle financing company in Davangere, got the news only on Friday. He too was not aware of any misunderstandings between the two.
He said a week ago she called Sudarshan studying in Mangalore and discussed her visit to Karnad.
He said both he and his brother along with their father were asked to meet Western Range IG A M Prasad. Rajashekar is optimistic that she is alive.
He suspects someone may have kidnapped her and the police will nab the culprit, whoever they are.