Suman Rameshainah
THE washing machine was on, buzzing away as it tackled load number two – an earlier load of clothes was already hung out to dry.
Dinner was cooked and wafting a pleasant aroma throughout the Wendouree house.
So when Nagash Nanjundaiah arrived home on Monday afternoon, it seemed his wife Suman Rameshainah had been busy.
However Suman – Nagash’s bride of 12 years – was nowhere to be found.
Still, there was no reason to panic at 2.30pm.
Suman, 35, was due to start some casual work at Coles Supermarket at 3.30pm – her first day on the job.
Nagash assumed she could easily have wandered into Ballarat’s CBD from their Carpenter Street home early to make a good impression.
But at 6.30pm when he called the supermarket and asked after his wife, he was told no one had seen her.
While starting to get concerned, Nagash waited until 10.30pm to call his father-in-law in Melbourne.
He hadn’t heard from his daughter either. Nagash, now extremely concerned, believed his wife had gone on a long walk to clear her head.
“She likes to go on long walks,” he said.
“On Sunday she walked almost 30 kilometres to Clunes, but I thought she would be too tired to walk that far again.”
Tuesday was hectic for Nagash, who spent the day canvassing friends, acquaintances, anyone he could think of who might have come into contact with his wife.
On Wednesday morning he decided to call the police.
“She had no food, no water – my worry is that she might have gone into a bush area.
“She had no money, not the proper footwear, but she usually stays along the roads (during her long walks).”
Nagash said Suman was deeply religious and was rarely away from her computer, where she keenly followed the latest religious posts online.
However, her Facebook account and email has not been touched.
Nagash said the couple’s eight-year-old son was “stressed out” with his mother away from home.
“Please, please come back,” he pleaded yesterday.
“Call me and come back.”
Yesterday police said several unconfirmed sightings had been reported.
The Indian woman is described as being 150 centimetres tall, slim and has long black hair.
She was wearing jeans, a black jacket and thongs when she left her home in Carpenter Street, Wendouree.
Anyone with information is asked to call triple zero immediately.
jordan.oliver@fairfaxmedia.com.au
