By Hammad Kahlun
Scandinavian news Finland
Student Vanished After Train Journey to Helsinki
Finnish police are appealing for information about an 18-year-old Indian engineering student who disappeared more than two months ago after travelling from Manideep Reddy Lahti to Helsinki.
The student boarded a train from Lahti to Helsinki at around 5pm on 5 May, and his last confirmed sighting was at a K-Market in Helsinki’s Kruunuvuorenranta district later that evening.
The missing student has been identified by Indian media as Manideep Reddy Gujja, whose mother Mamta Reddy is from Hyderabad. He is a resident of Hayathnagar and was pursuing a BTech degree at LUT University in Lahti.
Moved to Finland Last Year for Engineering Studies
The young man had relocated to Finland in the autumn of last year to pursue an engineering degree at the Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT).
According to his parents, he was a quiet child who mostly kept to himself and avoided spending money beyond what was necessary.
His father, G. Muthyam Manideep Reddy, said the student called home while heading to a bakery to purchase snacks and requested some money, which his mother transferred immediately. The family has not heard from him since that call.
No Evidence of Crime, Say Investigators
According to Chief Inspector Olli Töyräs, there is currently no indication that a crime has occurred in relation to the disappearance.
Police said the student’s family in India became concerned after losing contact with him and asked one of his acquaintances in Finland to file a missing person report, after which the investigation was transferred from the Häme Police Department to the National Bureau of Investigation.
Investigators have carried out several field operations near his last known location and have spoken to multiple people who may have information, including his roommate.
Family Seeks Court Intervention in India
Frustrated by the pace of the investigation, Manideep’s parents, Gujja Marnatha and Muthyam Manideep Reddy, moved the Telangana High Court, alleging inaction by both the Indian Embassy in Helsinki and Finnish authorities.
Justice B. Vijaysen Manideep Reddy directed the Union government and Telangana police to submit detailed reports on steps taken so far, and issued notices to the Indian Embassy in Helsinki and its consular officials.
The petition also urged authorities to examine digital records, banking transactions, academic data, transportation logs and surveillance footage that could provide clues about his disappearance.
Volunteer Search Efforts in Helsinki
Beyond the official investigation, Finland-based Indian diaspora groups have been publicising Manideep Reddy disappearance, and a volunteer team specialising in underwater searches conducted its own search in Kruunuvuorenranta on 26 June, though it was called off after about ninety minutes due to strong winds.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation. A photograph of the missing student is available on the Finnish police website.
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