A morning trek turned into chaos for a 31-year-old man, identified as Advaith Upadhyay, who went missing at Shivagange in Nelamangala taluk on the outskirts of Bengaluru. Police launched an extensive search for him after a missing person complaint.
A native of Madhya Pradesh's Indore, Upadhyay is a resident of the Begur area and works at a finance firm in Whitefield. He went for trekking at Shivagange and has been reported missing, news agency PTI reported, citing police.
The police have informed that an extensive search operation has been launched to trace Upadhyay.
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What happened before Upadhyay went missing?
The man reached the hill around 6:30 am on Friday and parked his rented bike at the foothills, the report added.
Before his trip, Upadhyay had reportedly informed his fiancée of his plan for Shivagange trekking and had also hired a motorcycle for the same.
The review of CCTV footage confirmed about him climbing the hill. However, all trace of his whereabouts ends there, and his mobile phone has remained switched off.
{{/usCountry}}The review of CCTV footage confirmed about him climbing the hill. However, all trace of his whereabouts ends there, and his mobile phone has remained switched off.
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Search operation and missing person case
Following a complaint, a missing person case has been registered at the Kadugodi police station.
According to a police official, subsequently, a search operation has been launched at Shivagange and its vicinity.
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Family expresses concerns about kidnapping
Upadhyay's family has expressed suspicion that he may have been kidnapped or harmed by robbers who noticed he was trekking alone.
Investigation underway into the matter
A senior police official also confirmed that the authorities are exploring every possible angle to trace the man.
"An extensive search operation continues, and further investigation is underway. We are looking into all angles," a senior police officer said.
Similar inciden in Wayanad
In a separate incident, earlier, two young trekkers who lost their way on Ponmudikotta hill near Ambalavayal were successfully rescued.
The incident unfolded on an afternoon when Mubashir and Mohammed Mundhir, who are natives of Kalloor, trekked to Ponmudikotta hill. However, they lost their way while descending from the other side of the hill.
They had also tried to return to the peak but were further disoriented.
According to a PTI report, officials said that in the evening, when mobile phone connectivity was restored, the stranded trekkers were then able to place a call to the Fire and Rescue Services.
Following this, the authorities launched a joint search operation and the young trekkers were subsequently rescued.