Bengaluru, July 30: Cafe Coffee Day (CCD) founder VG Siddhartha, who has gone missing, wrote an emotional letter to employees and board of directors two days before his disappearance. In his letter, VG Siddhartha said he failed as an entrepreneur. Siddhartha, who is the son-in-law of former Karnataka Chief Minister SM Krishna, also accused an income tax official of harassment and cited "tremendous pressure" from lenders.

Siddhartha expressed unhappiness over not creating "the right profitable business". "...I have failed to create the right profitable business model despite my best efforts... Every financial transaction is my responsibility... The law should hold me and only me accountable," he told employees and board of directors. "My intention was never to cheat or mislead anybody. I have failed as an entrepreneur...forgive and pardon me," he stated.

Siddhartha was spotted last on Monday evening the Netravati Bridge where he had gone for a stroll, a senior Karnataka police officer said on Tuesday. He has been untraceable since then. Sandeep Patil, commissioner of police, Mangalore, said Siddhartha had left Bengaluru yesterday and was travelling to Sakleshpur. "On reaching Netravati Bridge, he got down from the car and asked his driver to move ahead and wait as he wanted to take a stroll," Patil said. Karnataka: BS Yediyurappa Wins Floor Test in Karnataka Assembly by Voice Vote.

CCD Founder VG Siddhartha's Letter:

"Boat service and the help of local fishermen being taken to conduct search operation in the Netravati river. We are checking with whom all he spoke last," Patil added. Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and Congress leaders DK Shivakumar and BL Shankar visited SM Krishna's residence in Bengaluru on Tuesday, news agency ANI reported.

Siddhartha's driver Basavaraj was the last person who saw him. Basavaraj who was driving Siddhartha in Innova car before he went missing told ANI, "I have been working for him for the past three years. On Monday I reported for duty from his residence at 8 am and drove him to his Vittal Mallya office and returned home at 11 am. At 12:30 he asked me to drive towards Sakleshpur and then later he asked me to drive to towards Mangalore and just before we were about to enter the Mangalore circle, he asked me to take a left because he wanted to visit some site."

"When we reached the Kerala highway, he asked me to stop at the bridge and drop him there. I was told to wait on the other end. At 8 pm I called him but his phone was switched off. Then I called up his son, who also tried calling him. I later filed a complaint after we couldn't trace him", the driver added.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 30, 2019 10:40 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).