RSS ex-chief goes missing, found
Former RSS Sarsanghchalak K S Sudarshan on Friday went missing during his morning walk, sending city police into a tizzy.
The episode ended on a happy note six hours later when he was found at a stranger’s house nearly eight kilometres from his brother’s home where he had been staying.
Sudarshan, 81, was on a visit to his younger brother Ramesh’s house opposite Century Park in Nazarbad near the Chamundi Hills. He arrived in the city on August 1 morning and was staying at his brother’s since then. On Friday, he left for a walk at 5.20 am, leaving behind his personal assistant Brijesh Nath who usually accompanied him. His bodyguard was resting at Madhav Kripa, the RSS headquarters on JLB Road in the city.
Sudarshan went alone for a stroll but did not return home after half an hour. So, his worried brother went in search of him in his chauffeur-driven car around the Mysore Palace, Chamundi Vihar Stadium and other places, but in vain. He later lodged a missing complaint with the Nazarbad police.
Soon, the police and the RSS workers formed groups and fanned out in different directions searching for Sudarshan. Police Commissioner K L Sudheer also announced a Rs 20,000 reward to those who help trace the missing leader.
Finally, at around 11.15 am, Nazarbad police were told that the Sangh former chief was resting at a house in Kesare in the NR police limits. Ashok alias Ashwath, at whose house Sudarshan was found, told the media that an elderly person (referring to Sudarshan) had come to his house asking for water in Hindi — “paani do” — at around 10.45 am.
Ashok obliged and also asked him come in and take some rest. Sudarshan then asked for butter milk. Ashok’s parents Srinivas and Hemavathi offered him butter milk and rolled out a mattress for him to rest.
When power supply resumed at Ashok’s house around 11 am, the family switched on the television and were in for a shock. News channels were repeatedly flashing photographs of Sudarshan announcing that the RSS leader had gone missing. That’s when Ashok rushed to the police station and informed the police about Sudarshan resting in their house at Kesare.
Incidentally, Ashok was also an RSS member years ago. He now works as a delivery boy at Sequel Logistics Ltd in Bangalore. His father, Srinivas is a security guard at the KSRTC bus stand in RS Naidu Nagar.
