VISAKHAPATNAM: Helicopters flew over Bay of Bengal to trace a young married woman who went missing at RK Beach two days ago.
The operation costing more than ₹60 lakh went pointless after authorities traced the woman in the company of her paramour at Kavali in Nellore district on Wednesday.
“The lady has cheated all of us, wasting our time and energy,” said a senior police officer.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation deputy mayor G. Sridhar, who also joined the team monitoring the search operation with helicopters, said, “Yes, as per information, the woman, reported missing on July 25, has been located in Nellore district on Wednesday. Police are further investigating the case.”
According to police, 21-year-old N. Sai Priya married Srinivasa Rao on July 25, 2020. She resides in Sanjeevayyanagar Colony near NAD here.
Srinivasa Rao’s hometown is Srikakulam, but he has moved to Hyderabad for a job. Priya returned to Vizag four months ago for joining a computer course. As their second wedding anniversary happened to be on July 25, Rao arrived in Vizag on July 24.
The couple first visited Simhachalam Temple on Monday morning to mark their wedding anniversary. They arrived at RK Beach in the evening. Around 7 p.m., Srinivasa Rao realised that Priya is missing. He immediately alerted everyone including police and her parents. On Tuesday, a team comprising deputy mayor Sridhar and police alerted the Coast Guard, who commissioned Chetak helicopters to search for the woman along the beach and on the sea.
On Wednesday, Sridhar announced to media that the woman has been found safe in Nellore and is coming to Vizag.
When contacted, a police officer told DC that the woman had first gave her whereabouts to her friend in Visakhapatnam and then to her parents. She had eloped with one Ravi from the beach on July 25.
“The woman is coming back to Vizag. We will be able to share more details about the case once she reaches Visakhapatnam,” police stated.
A Naval official said they launch search operations with helicopters on request from the collector. A one-hour search operation over the sea would cost around ₹5 lakh. However, it is the government’s responsibility to take up such search operations.
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