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Café Coffee Day founder VG Siddhartha goes missing; talks of letting down people, IT harassment in his last letter

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Café Coffee Day founder VG Siddhartha

Café Coffee Day Group founder and former Karnataka Chief Minister, SM Krishna’s son-in-law, VG Siddhartha, has been missing since Monday night and a massive search operation has not been successful  in finding him so far, said reports quoting police today (Tuesday, July 30). 

Siddhartha, 55, reportedly left in his Innova car towards Mangaluru last night. He stopped midway at Ullal bridge across the Nethravati river near Mangaluru where he reportedly got off from his car. When he did not return even after two hours, his driver went looking for him. When he could not find Siddhartha anywhere, the driver alerted the family members who then informed the police.

“Yesterday, he had left Bengaluru saying he is going to Sakleshpur. But on the way, he told the driver to go to Mangaluru. After reaching the Ullal Bridge, he got down from the car. Siddhartha asked his driver to drive a little further and stop. He will come walking. However, he didn’t return. The dog squad used to locate him too stopped at the middle of the bridge,” Mangaluru city police commissioner Sandeep Patil said.

A letter dated July 27 purportedly written by Siddhartha to the board of directors and his CCD family has emerged in which he said he had “failed to create the right profitable business model despite my best efforts”. He added, “I would like to say I gave it my all. I am very sorry to let down all the people that put their trust in me. I fought for a long time but today I gave up as I could not take any more pressure from one of the private equity partners forcing me to buy back shares, a transaction I had partially completed six months ago by borrowing a large sum of money from a friend. Tremendous pressure from other lenders lead me to succumbing to the situation.”

Siddhartha also mentions the “harassment” he allegedly faced at the hands of Income Tax officials.  “There was a lot of harassment from the previous DG income Tax in the form of attaching our shares on two separate occasions to block our Mindtree deal and then asking position of our Coffee Day shares, although the revised returns have been filed by us. This was very unfair and has led to a serious liquidity crunch,” he said.

Claiming complete responsibility of all the transactions done, in his letter, he left an earnest request to his team urging them to continue running the business with a ‘new management’. 

In the letter, Siddhartha has also taken responsibility for all financial transactions, which, he said, nobody was aware of.  “I sincerely request each of you to be strong and to continue running these businesses with a new management. I am solely responsible for all mistakes. Every financial transaction is my responsibility. My team, auditors and senior management are totally unaware of all my transactions. The law should hold me, and only me accountable, as I have withheld this information from everybody, including my family.”

He further wrote: “My intention was never to cheat or mislead anybody. I have failed as an entreprenuer. This is my sincere submission, I hope some day you will understand, forgive and pardon me.”

Also Read: Unnao rape: Murder case against BJP MLA Sengar and others after rape victim’s car crash

Born in to a family of coffee planters in Karnataka’s Chikkamagaluru, VG Siddhartha founded India’s first popular café chain Café Coffee Day with its first outlet opening in Bangalore’s famous Brigade Road in 1996. 

VG Siddhartha was recently in the news for selling his entire stake in midsize IT firm Mindtree to L&T. He was the largest shareholder in Mindtree and exited the company after remaining invested for close to two decades. 

In this regard, the report stated that a complaint against Siddhartha alleging insider trading during his stint at Mindtree was also filed with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) by an anonymous person.

The report added that the complaint filed against Siddhartha had alleged that he and his firm Coffee Day group had sold shares that were pledged before various financial institutions.

The police, revenue authorities and expert swimmers are conducting search operations in the river on the assumption that he may have jumped into the river. 

Meanwhile, a spokesperson from CCD head office in Bengaluru said the company is yet to confirm the genuineness of the letter. “We are still in shock and our employees are still hoping for the best. As of now, we are yet to confirm the genuineness of the letter that is being flashed in media. We are here to ensure that business will not be hit in any circumstances,” the spokesperson said.

An intensive search operation has been mounted with over 200 policemen, divers on about 25 boats and local fishermen searching for Siddhartha at the bridge. Sniffer dogs have also been deployed at the site. The Indian Coast Guard also joined the search operation and has deployed a ship off the old Mangalore port. Three diving teams have been pressed by the Coast Guard, PTI reported.

However, due to the rain in coastal Karnataka, the water level in the river has gone up to a serious level and is causing a problem for a speedy search operation, BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje informed Union Home Minister Amit Shah. A group of Karnataka BJP MPs led by Karandlaje met Shah today and sought help from the Centre in tracing the missing CCD founder. 

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and Congress leader D K Shivakumar visited Krishna at his residence in Bengaluru this morning. Krishna had served as the external affairs minister from 2009 to October 2012 in the UPA-II government and as the 16th chief minister of Karnataka.

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India hits back at Shehbaz Sharif at UN, says terror will have consequences

India hit back at Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s UN speech, with New Delhi warning that terrorism will have consequences.

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India has responded to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s remarks at the United Nations, delivering a strong message on terrorism and warning that such actions will have consequences.

The response came after Mr Sharif addressed the UN and raised issues concerning India and Pakistan. New Delhi rejected the narrative presented by the Pakistani prime minister and highlighted the issue of terrorism.

India’s message was delivered by Petal Gehlot, who represented New Delhi in the response to Pakistan.

India warns Pakistan over terrorism

India’s response focused on Pakistan’s record and its approach towards terrorism. New Delhi made clear that terrorism cannot be separated from its consequences and that those responsible cannot expect such actions to go unanswered.

The Indian side also pushed back against the claims and allegations made by Mr Sharif during his UN speech.

The exchange comes amid continuing tensions between India and Pakistan, with terrorism remaining a major point of disagreement between the two countries.

Shehbaz Sharif’s UN remarks

In his address, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke about India-Pakistan relations and raised several issues concerning New Delhi.

India subsequently exercised its right of reply to respond to Pakistan’s statements at the United Nations.

New Delhi’s response underlined its position that terrorism remains a serious issue in the relationship and that there would be consequences for terrorist actions.

The latest exchange at the UN adds to the continuing diplomatic confrontation between the two neighbouring countries.

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Veeramani POCSO case: Vijay questions Stalin over earlier probe

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has questioned MK Stalin over the handling of the Veeramani POCSO case, while Stalin has rejected allegations that the previous DMK government protected anyone.

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Actor Vijay

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president C Joseph Vijay has questioned DMK president MK Stalin over the handling of the POCSO case involving Gem Granites founder R Veeramani. The political exchange follows renewed investigation into allegations involving minor girls.

Vijay’s remarks came as the ruling TVK stepped up its questions about how the case was handled during the previous DMK government. The party’s IT wing has alleged that the earlier investigation was weakened and questioned why a final report was filed.

The allegations have been rejected by the DMK. Stalin has said that no order was issued by the DMK government to protect anyone in the case and has called the allegations false and defamatory.

What did Vijay say about the Veeramani case?

Vijay questioned Stalin over the handling of the case and demanded an explanation from the former chief minister.

The TVK has specifically questioned why action was not taken against Veeramani during the previous administration and why the earlier investigation resulted in a closure report.

The party has also raised questions about the role of officials involved in the earlier investigation. These are political allegations made by the TVK and have not been established as facts.

What is the Veeramani POCSO case?

The case concerns allegations of sexual abuse of minors involving R Veeramani, the founder of Gem Granites.

The case came under renewed scrutiny after a special POCSO court rejected an earlier closure report and ordered further investigation. The expanded probe has subsequently identified additional alleged survivors who were minors at the time of the alleged offences, according to current reporting.

The investigation is also examining the circumstances surrounding the earlier probe and whether there were any lapses in how the case was handled.

What has MK Stalin said?

Stalin has rejected allegations that the previous DMK government protected Veeramani.

He has said that no order was issued by the DMK government to shield anyone in the case. Stalin has also said that everyone responsible for the alleged offences, including anyone who aided or attempted to protect the accused, should face the law.

The DMK president has further said that the focus should remain on securing justice for the affected girls rather than making political allegations.

Why has the case become a political issue?

The Veeramani case has become the subject of a political dispute between the ruling TVK and the DMK over the handling of the earlier investigation.

The TVK is questioning the previous government’s handling of the case, while the DMK has denied that it intervened to protect the accused.

At this stage, claims about political interference or deliberate weakening of the earlier investigation should be treated as allegations unless established by the ongoing investigation or judicial proceedings.

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Women wrestlers challenge Brij Bhushan’s acquittal in sexual harassment case

Four women wrestlers have challenged the acquittal of former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and co-accused Vinod Tomar in a sexual harassment case.

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Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh

Four women wrestlers have approached a Delhi court challenging the acquittal of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in a sexual harassment case.

The wrestlers have also challenged the acquittal of co-accused Vinod Tomar. The matter is scheduled to be heard by a Special Judge at the Rouse Avenue Courts.

The appeal challenges the order passed by an Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate on August 3, 2026, when Brij Bhushan and Tomar were acquitted in the case.

Wrestlers challenge court’s reasoning

In their appeal, the wrestlers have argued that the acquittal order is legally unsustainable and that the evidence was not assessed appropriately.

They have also alleged that the order relied on assumptions about how victims of sexual assault and harassment were expected to behave instead of assessing the evidence and circumstances of the complainants.

The challenge seeks judicial scrutiny of the findings that resulted in the acquittal of Brij Bhushan and Tomar.

Brij Bhushan was acquitted in August

The Rouse Avenue court acquitted Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on August 3 in the sexual harassment case involving women wrestlers. The court’s decision followed consideration of the evidence and statements presented during the proceedings.

The case had emerged after several women wrestlers accused the former WFI chief of sexual harassment. The allegations had led to a major protest by wrestlers in 2023.

The latest appeal means the acquittal is now being challenged before a higher court.

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