In what comes as a tragic update, Cafe Coffee Day (CCD) Owner-Founder, VG Siddhartha was found dead 36 hours after he went missing. Following a massive search operation that lasted for about 30 hours, Siddhartha’s body was recovered from Netravati river near Hoige Bazaar in Mangaluru, during the early hours of Wednesday.
The CCD honcho, who is the son-in-law of former Karnataka Chief Minister SM Krishna, went missing from Monday evening. Reports claim that Siddhartha got off his car during the said time and told his driver that he would get home by walk. With the CCD owner not returning home, the panicked driver conveyed the news to the family members, who alerted the police subsequently.
The Karnataka Police had launched a search op and deployed close to 200 personnel, including firefighters, dog squads and swimmers to locate the business tycoon. However, the hopes of finding the Cafe Coffee Day Owner alive soon turned to despair as they found the body on early Wednesday. The body was shifted to a local hospital where a post-mortem will be conducted.
In a letter that was addressed to the CCD staff and Board of Directors, the Cafe Coffee Day Owner wrote,” “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.” The Coffee King also cited harassment by the I-T department officials, which has led to an uproar against the tax officials.
Here’s how people on Twitter responded to VG Siddhartha’s case:
I had known #VGSiddhartha personally and was always amazed at his energy and positivity. Distressed by his disappearance. He has been an inspiring entrepreneur and investor.
— Sachin Bansal (@_sachinbansal) July 30, 2019
If this note of #VGSiddhartha is genuine,he complains on Govt officials harassment which needs to be enquired into.
Also this brings into spotlight if the bankruptcy laws in India need a relook. Currently most laws dissuade entrepreneurship & kill ailing businesses here. pic.twitter.com/VMepuvlqJG— Priyank Kharge (@PriyankKharge) July 30, 2019
VG Siddhartha is a hard-working, understated & cheerful entrepreneur. Let’s hope he’s ok & wish SM Krishna family the best. India’s entrepreneurial climate, however, is turning toxic by the day, with tax terror & over-criminalisation added to an economic collapse we keep denying
— Shekhar Gupta (@ShekharGupta) July 30, 2019
No amount of money guarantees a peaceful life. A lot can happen over coffee, except negotiating life and business maybe. Our lives are ironic to our names, while 1 Siddhartha became the symbol of peace, the other teaches us the true importance of it. #VGSiddhartha #CafeCoffeeDay
— Danish Sait (@DanishSait) July 31, 2019
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