Full Name: Tej Chitnis

Alternative Name: Unknown

Case Status: Missing

Record ID#: 0154

*The names “Jane Doe”  and “John Doe” are English names used when the person’s true name is not known. If used above, the name refers to a person of unknown identity.

Date of Birth*: November 22, 1994
Birthplace: Melbourne, Australia
Age at the Time: 21
Age Group: 20s
Biological Sex: Male
Hair: Short, Black
Eyes: Brown
Skin Complexion: Medium
Shoe Size: Unknown
Ethnicity: Asian / Indian
Nationality: Australia
Languages Spoken: Unknown

*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.

Physical Build: Medium

Height:

Weight

Distinguishing Marks:

• Unknown

Medical Condition: Unknown
Physical Abnormality: Unknown
Dental Condition: Unknown
Scars & Other Marks: Unknown
Piercings: Pierced Earns
Tattoos: Unknown

Other Descriptors: Unknown

Clothing

•  T‑shirt
• Jeans
• Black Adidas runners

Possessions:

• Phone
• Wallet
• Keys

Date of the Disappearance*: April 27, 2016

Description: On April 27, 2016, 21-year-old Tej Chitnis left his family home on Bonview Crescent Street in Burwood East, a quiet Melbourne suburb, and disappeared without a trace. Described by his parents as cheerful, friendly, and reliable, Tej had left that morning around 10:00 a.m. in his silver 2005 Volkswagen Golf hatchback. He had his phone, car keys, and wallet with him, and told his parents he was going to meet some friends in central Melbourne. He planned to return by 4:00 p.m. to attend his father’s 60th birthday party that evening. He had specifically asked his parents to wait for him so he could change before they all left together. That was the last time they saw him.

At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Tej had a typical routine. He was enrolled at Deakin University and told his family he was attending classes at the nearby Burwood campus. Rather than drive all the way to campus, he often dropped his car off near Blackburn Railway Station and took the train the rest of the way. The trip from his house to the station usually took about 10 minutes. In addition to his studies, Tej worked part-time at an Officeworks branch in Melbourne. He followed a fairly consistent schedule and was almost always home by 4:00 p.m., whether he had classes or work.

But just an hour and a half after he left home, Tej’s car was spotted in Healesville, a town to the east of Melbourne. CCTV footage captured his 2005 Silver VW Golf on Maroondah Highway at the Green Street intersection around 11:30 a.m. That route is the most direct from Burwood East to Healesville. His phone pinged a nearby cell tower at approximately 11:50 a.m.—this was the last known signal from his mobile. After that, nothing.

Tej never showed up for the party, and his parents grew increasingly anxious as the evening wore on. It was extremely out of character for him to disappear without notice, especially on such an important family occasion. When they couldn’t reach him, they reported him missing. Since that day, there have been no confirmed sightings, no transactions on his bank accounts, and no further activity on his phone.

Several questions immediately emerged. Why was Tej in Healesville at all? As far as anyone knew, he had no friends or relatives in the area and no reason to travel there. Was Healesville even his intended destination, or merely a stop along the way? His car was last seen on the highway, and the phone pinged nearby—but the footage did not show who was driving. It remains unclear whether Tej was even behind the wheel.

Another question is why the trip took longer than expected. The drive from Burwood East to the location where the car was caught on camera typically takes about an hour. Tej’s car was seen around 11:30, which is roughly 90 minutes after he left home. Was there traffic? Did he make a stop? Or did something happen during that time that altered the course of his morning?

In the days following his disappearance, more puzzling details began to emerge. For one, none of Tej’s close friends came forward to say they had planned to meet him that day. This opened up several possibilities: either one of the friends was lying, Tej lied about who he was meeting, or he was planning to see someone unknown to his family—a scenario that would have been highly unusual for him.

Perhaps the most jarring discovery came weeks later. Tej had not been attending classes at Deakin University for over two years. Although he had graduated from Melbourne High School in 2012 and initially enrolled at Deakin, he had quietly stopped attending sometime in 2014. Still, he had kept up the pretense, telling family and friends that he was not only still enrolled but planning to transfer to Monash University to study medicine. The timing of his disappearance was especially significant: had he remained on track, he would have been expected to graduate that year. It seemed likely that the truth about his studies would soon come to light, and the pressure may have been weighing on him more than anyone realized.

His mother later recalled that Tej had expressed some concerns about his future but attributed it to ordinary stress. Nothing in his behavior indicated the situation had become this serious. It is still unclear how he spent the time he was supposedly in school. His part-time job at Officeworks would not have accounted for all his time, yet no evidence has emerged suggesting he was involved in drugs, gambling, or any criminal activity. It also raises the question: was Healesville really such an unusual destination for him, or had he been going there before without anyone’s knowledge?

As the months passed with no new information, Tej’s family and police continued to search. Authorities distributed flyers and footage. Community members and volunteers organized search efforts throughout the Yarra Valley, Toolangi, and beyond. In 2019, an Australian first-of-its-kind hackathon brought together over 350 ethical hackers and online investigators to comb through digital trails and open-source data in hopes of uncovering new leads. Despite all efforts, Tej’s car, his phone, and most importantly Tej himself, have never been found.

To raise awareness, the Missing Persons Advocacy Network (MPAN) launched a campaign in collaboration with artist Heesco and writer Benjamin Law. A mural featuring Tej’s image was painted near Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne. During National Missing Persons Week, biodegradable coffee cups bearing Tej’s portrait and a brief summary of his case were distributed at cafes and football matches across the country.

His mother, devastated by his absence, once found a shirt of Tej’s that had slipped behind the couch. It still smelled faintly of him. On Mother’s Day just weeks after his disappearance, she shared a heartfelt message:

“It is most unlike you, my darling, to just walk away without a word and not think what it will do to us. We love you very much and are very worried about you.” – Message from Tej’s Mother

Nine years later, the mystery remains. There have been no confirmed sightings, no physical evidence, and no explanation. His family continues to wait, continuing to hope that someday, someone will come forward with the key to understanding what happened on that quiet April morning.

Multiple Victims?: No

Rumored or Actual Sightings: Unknown

*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.

Date the Body was Recovered: Unknown

Description: Unknown

Possible Signs Of . . . : Unknown

Time of Death: Unknown

Cause of Death: Unknown

Recovered Remains (if partial): Unknown

Suspected Homicide?: Unknown

Multiple Victims?: Unknown

DNA Tested (No Match): Unknown

*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.

Description: 2005 Silver Volkswagon (VW) Golf Hatchback

License Plate: TTF 517 (Victoria)

Description: Unknown