Archive · 12 Aug 2026
Missing Indore Techie's AI Searches Raise Suicide Suspicion in Karnataka
A grown-up man named Advait went for a walk up a big hill called Shivagange Hill in India.
He works with computers, so people call him a techie.
He sent a photo to the woman he is engaged to, and then his phone stopped working.
His bag, sweater, phone, and a small drone were found on the hill, but Advait is still missing.
Police looked at his computer and found that he had asked smart computer programs questions about falling from the hill.
Because of this, the police think he may have wanted to hurt himself.
His family does not agree and thinks someone may have taken him.
They say his phone was last seen 22 kilometers away from the hill.
Many rescue teams, including disaster response forces, are still searching the steep rocky areas with drones.
Nobody knows for sure what happened, and the police say his death has not been officially confirmed.
Advait Upadhyaya, a 32-year-old techie from Indore, went missing on August 7 during a trek at Shivagange Hill in Karnataka's Bengaluru Rural district.
CCTV showed him reaching the summit but not descending; his bag, sweater, phone and drone were later found around the restricted Shantala Drop.
Investigators found AI tool searches on his laptop about the hill's height, the physical impact of a fall, and how long it would take to die from the drop.
His fiancée reported him missing after his phone went unreachable; the phone was briefly active before switching off, raising suspicion that someone else picked it up.
Police are probing suicide, an accidental slip, or foul play, while his family suspects kidnapping because the phone's last location was traced 22 km away.
- Who
- Advait Upadhyaya, a 32-year-old techie from Indore residing in Bengaluru's Kadugodi area, whose fiancée reported him missing.
- What
- He disappeared after trekking Shivagange Hill; police found AI searches on his laptop about fatal falls and launched a multi-agency search operation.
- When
- August 7, when he went missing during a morning trek at Shivagange Hill.
- Where
- Shivagange Hill in Bengaluru Rural district, Karnataka, with searches focused on the Shantala Drop.
- Why
- Police suspect suicide based on his AI search history while also probing an accidental slip or foul play; the family suspects kidnapping because the phone's last location was traced 22 km away.
Police: Suicide or Accident Theory
Family: Kidnapping Theory
Cause of disappearance
Police: Suicide or Accident Theory
Police suspect suicide after finding AI tool searches on his laptop about the physical impact of a fall from Shivagange Hill and how long it would take to die from the drop; they are also probing the possibility of an accidental slip.
Family: Kidnapping Theory
The family suspects kidnapping because his phone's last location was traced 22 kilometres away from the hill.
- Missing person
- Advait Upadhyaya (techie, originally from Indore)
- Age
- 32
- Residence
- Kadugodi, Bengaluru
- Disappearance date
- August 7, during a trek
- Disappearance site
- Shivagange Hill, Bengaluru Rural district, Karnataka
- Items recovered
- Bag, sweater, mobile phone and drone near Shantala Drop
- Phone's last location
- 22 km away from the hill
- Status
- Missing; death not officially confirmed; search ongoing
