Techie missing during Bengaluru trek feared dead as drone spots body-like object

A drone team searching Shivagange Hill spotted an object resembling a body below Shantala Drop after tech professional Advait Upadhyay went missing during a solo trek. The sighting has heightened fears of an accident, while officials have not confirmed the identity and teams are yet to reach the spot.Missing tech professional Advait UpadhyayA 31-year-old tech professional, Advait Upadhyay, who went missing during a solo trek to Shivagange Hill in Bengaluru Rural on August 7, is feared to have died after a drone spotted what appeared to be a human body in dense vegetation.Advait, an IIT alumnus and cybersecurity professional, works with a finance firm in Whitefield and lives in Kadugodi.According to police, CCTV footage shows Advait reaching Shivagange at around 7.30 am on August 7 and beginning his trek. He was expected to return by afternoon but did not come back.Advait had rented a motorcycle to travel to Shivagange. Police later found the motorcycle parked at the foothills, but found no trace of him. Police traced his last mobile phone signal to Kuduru on Kunigal Road, which is reportedly away from the usual Shivagange trekking route. His mobile phone was subsequently switched off.As police and rescue agencies intensified the search, drone teams spotted an object resembling a human body in dense vegetation below the dangerous Shantala Drop, a steep and difficult-to-access portion of the hill. The sighting has raised fears that Advait may have met with an accident or suffered a fatal fall. However, authorities have not confirmed whether the object is a human body or whether it is Advait.Rescue teams have not yet reached the exact location because of the difficult terrain and dense vegetation.Nearly 100 personnel from the police, NDRF, SDRF and Forest Department are involved in the search operation. Multiple drone teams and ground personnel are combing Shivagange Hill, Shantala Drop and surrounding areas to locate Advait.Meanwhile, investigators are examining Advait's movements and digital activity before his disappearance. Police are also examining the browsing history on his laptop, which reportedly contains searches related to Shivagange, Shantala Drop and locations associated with suicides near Bengaluru.Police are examining the browsing history as part of the investigation but have not drawn any conclusion or established that Advait intended to harm himself.The focus remains on locating the missing techie and confirming whether the object spotted by the drone is indeed Advait.Meanwhile, the Indore Police said Bengaluru Police have not officially contacted them so far. The Indore Police received information through social media that Advait is a resident of Indore.The Indore Additional DCP said the police would provide all possible assistance if Advait's family approaches them for help. Indore Police are also contacting the concerned police station and officers in Bengaluru on their own to gather information about the case.The family has not directly contacted the Indore Police so far. Police said they would provide all possible assistance to the family if they establish contact through electronic means or other sources.Search and rescue operations continue at Shivagange, while police investigate the circumstances surrounding Advait's disappearance.- EndsPublished By: Akshat TrivediPublished On: Aug 12, 2026 13:46 IST