Bengaluru Techie Missing From Shivaganga Hills; Police Search Underway With Drones

Bengaluru, Aug 10: A 31-year-old software professional, Advaith Upadhyey, has gone missing after venturing into Shivaganga hills in Tumakuru district, located around 70-kilometers from the city. A 60-member search team, comprising Bengaluru Rural police, SDRF personnel, and Kadugodi police, is utilizing high-resolution drones and other equipment to locate the Kadugodi resident.

Advaith, who has been working in Bengaluru for the past four years, had gone on a solo trek with his fiancée in a rental motorcycle. When his phone became unreachable on Friday afternoon, his fiancée reported the incident to Kadugodi police. On Sunday, the search team discovered Advaith's shoulder bag and sweater at Shanthala Point, an area considered off-limits for visitors.

However, the last recorded location of Advaith's mobile phone is about 22 kilometers away, leaving several questions unanswered. The search team has also inspected the solitary CCTV camera near Dasoha Bhavan at the base of the hill, which shows Advaith ascending the hill at approximately 6:45 am on Friday morning. Yet, there is no indication of his return from that location.

At around 8:30 am, Advaith made a video call to his fiancée from Valkala Theertha point, on his way to the hilltop, and shared photos of the area before losing signal. His phone went untraceable from 1 pm, and his family made repeated attempts to contact him, but the phone remained switched off. The search efforts have been impeded by adverse weather conditions, which have been experiencing rainfall for the past week.

The investigators are exploring various hypotheses, including the possibility of Advaith slipping on the rocky granite terrain and falling, as it was raining at the time of his disappearance. Another theory suggests that he may have entered the restricted area near Eshwara Temple, which is under the Muzrai department, and ventured into the prohibited zone, leading to his unfortunate fate.

A third possibility is that Advaith might have taken his own life by jumping from Shanthala Point. However, family members are convinced that he may have been kidnapped, as his last known location was approximately 20 kilometers away from the summit of the hill.