Café Coffee Day owner VG Siddhartha's body found, last rites to be performed in Chikkamagaluru

MANGALURU: Following a massive search operation of nearly 30 hours involving multiple agencies, the body of Café Coffee Day founder VG Siddhartha was recovered from

Nethravathi river

near Mangaluru early on Wednesday, confirmed Mangaluru city police.


The body was shifted to Wenlock Hospital where a post-mortem will be conducted.

Live updates: Café Coffee Day founder VG Siddhartha's last rites to be performed in Chikkamagaluru

"The body was found floating near Hoige Bazar at around 6.30am. The next process will go as per law and family members have been informed," Mangaluru police commissioner (city) Sandeep Patil said.

Nethravathi river is located on the outskirts of Mangaluru - 350km from Bengaluru and very close to the Arabian Sea.

Siddhartha, the founder of country's largest coffee chain Cafe Coffee Day and son-in-law of former Karnataka chief minister SM Krishna, was missing since Monday evening.

Read also: VG Siddhartha's last letter to Cafe Coffee Day board and staff

The 60-year-old coffee baron had arrived at 6pm from Bengaluru in his SUV on Monday and had asked the driver to drive towards the Nethravathi bridge.

He was last seen near the bridge. It is suspected that he committed suicide by jumping off the bridge.

Read also: Coffee czar's problems began with income tax and ED raids in 2017

Acting on the complaint from Basavaraj Patil, Siddhartha's driver, local authorities swung into action and launched a massive search and rescue (SAR) operation.

Siddhartha's body will be taken to Chikkamagaluru after post-mortem where his last rites will be performed.

Following the death of the coffee chain founder, all the corporate offices of the coffee chain will remain closed. However, the CCD outlets will remain open for customers.


Read this story in Marathi


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