What happened to Ankit Bagai? Body of missing Germantown man found in Lake Churchill 

Ankit Bagai, a 30-year-old software engineer from Germantown, was reported missing on April 9 following his disappearance after leaving a treatment center on Panthers Ridge Drive.

More than a week after his disappearance, on Wednesday, April 19, the Montgomery County Department of Police announced that Ankit Bagi was found dead in Lake Churchill, noting that they do not suspect foul play in his death.

Police said that on Tuesday, April 18, around 9 am boat, crews with Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services recovered a body from Lake Churchill that they have now identified as the missing Germantown man Ankit Bagai.

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Ankit Bagai was prescribed life-saving medication before his disappearance

On Easter Sunday, April 9, Ankit Bagai’s family reported him missing after he vanished following a visit to a treatment center. According to authorities, Bagai was last seen on April 9, around 11:30 a.m., on Panthers Ridge Drive.

Shortly after authorities began their search for the missing man, they allegedly received reports that Bagai was in Lake Churchill in Germantown.

The initial report propelled authorities to unsuccessfully search the area on land and water, where they failed to locate the missing victim.

However, days later, Bagai, an avid golfer, was found in the lake after officers were called to the area of Afternoon and Summersong Lanes at approximately 8 am on Tuesday based on the report of a body in the water.

In the days after his disappearance, Bagai’s family, in a press conference, pleaded for any information on his whereabouts and offered a $5000 reward for leads on the missing person’s location.

In a press conference, Bagai’s brother-in-law told reporters that Ankit, who suffered from mental health issues, was prescribed life-saving medication that he has gone without since his disappearance. He added that Ankit left the treatment center without his ID, wallet, and cell phone before he vanished.

Meanwhile, Bagai’s mom broke down during the conference, pleading with her son to return home. In the days after his disappearance, Bagai’s family, who started their search at the police station, passed out fliers while visiting several locations in hopes of finding leads to his whereabouts.

Tragically, nearly nine days after his disappearance, Ankit Bagai was found dead in the lake. Police, who have yet to disclose additional information, said the cause of death had not been released.

In a similar incident, Robert Heikka, a teacher at Creekside Middle School in Port Orange, was reported missing on October 26, 2020, and was found dead in a canal along the Pioneer Trail near New Smyrna Beach on Saturday, April 8, 2023.

Authorities suspect that Heikka most likely lost control of his car on the night of October 25, 2020, and crashed into the canal where he was discovered nearly three years after his disappearance.