BENGALURU: A city techie went missing after setting out on a solo trek to Shivagange Hill near Dobbaspet in Bengaluru Rural district Friday morning, triggering a multi-agency search across the treacherous terrain.His last known sighting was captured on CCTV as he parked his bike at the foothills before starting the ascent.Advait Upadhyay, 31, from Kadugodi in east Bengaluru and son of an Indore-based businessman, told his fiancée Prapti Chauhan he was heading for the trek around 7.30am. She filed a missing person’s complaint in the evening, following which police found the bike, but his mobile phone was switched off.Advait had reportedly rented a motorbike from Whitefield five days ago. “The rented motorcycle was found parked near the base of the hill, but we have not found any further clue so far,” a police officer involved in the search told TOI.Police said his mobile phone’s last known location was traced to an area that does not fall along the trekking route, deepening the mystery over his whereabouts.Located about 50km from Bengaluru, Shivagange rises to 4,488 feet above sea level and is a popular trekking destination.The climb is moderately challenging, with steep stretches and narrow, rock-cut steps.Following the complaint, police teams rushed to Shivagange and launched an intensive search. Police personnel, assisted by drones and search-and-rescue teams, spent more than six hours scouring dense vegetation and steep, rocky terrain.Teams have been concentrating on the area around Shantala Drop, a dangerous cliff point atop the hill.
