The Telangana High Court has directed both the central and state governments to intensify efforts to trace an 18-year-old engineering student from Hyderabad who has been missing in Finland for more than 45 days.
Gujja Manideep Reddy, who moved to Finland in 2025 to pursue an engineering degree at the University of Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT), was last in contact with his family on May 5. According to his father, G. Muthyam Reddy, the student called home while heading to a bakery to purchase snacks and requested some money, which his mother, Mamata, immediately transferred to his account. Since that conversation, the family has been unable to establish any contact with him.
Concerned by the lack of progress in locating his son, Muthyam Reddy approached the Telangana High Court after unsuccessful attempts to secure effective assistance from the Indian Embassy and Finnish authorities.
Hearing a petition filed by Manideep’s parents, Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy directed the Union government and Telangana police to submit detailed reports on the steps taken so far to trace the missing student. The court also issued notices to the Indian Embassy in Helsinki, its consular officials, and other relevant authorities, seeking information on diplomatic, administrative, and investigative measures being undertaken in the case.
The matter has been scheduled for further hearing on June 24.
Representing the Ministry of External Affairs, standing counsel N.V.R. Rajya Lakshmi informed the court that Finnish police had already registered a missing person case and were actively investigating the matter. She stated that the ministry was closely monitoring developments and coordinating with authorities.
According to information shared with the family by Finnish investigators, Manideep had travelled nearly 100 kilometers away from the residence he shared with a friend before authorities lost track of his movements. His last known location was reportedly a K-Market store in Helsinki.
Despite extensive inquiries involving his roommates, friends, and university officials, investigators have so far been unable to uncover reliable information about his whereabouts.
In his plea, Muthyam Reddy urged authorities to examine digital records, banking transactions, academic data, transportation logs, and surveillance footage that could provide clues about his son’s disappearance. He also requested regular updates on the progress of the investigation.
The case has drawn attention to the challenges faced by families of students studying abroad when they go missing, with Manideep’s parents continuing to seek urgent intervention from both Indian and Finnish authorities in hopes of finding him safe.
