The Karnataka Police probing the disappearance of Bengaluru-based cybersecurity professional Advait Upadhyay, who went missing while trekking at the Shivagange Hills since August 7, is looking into all angles, including whether the Madhya Pradesh native could have faked his suicide.
Despite reports that one of the drones, deployed as part of the search operations, captured footage of a suspected body trapped amid dense vegetation near the base of Shantala Drop, the police suspect he is not dead.
As per local reports, the police are now looking into whether he planned his disappearance to fake suicide. One of the reasons includes his suspicious online activities.
A search at his residence revealed a laptop, which showed he searched for information related to Shivagange Hills and Shantala Drop. It was alleged that the youngster had searched online for information about how long it would take a person to die after falling from Shivagange Hill, the consequences of such a fall and the height of the hill.
However, he had left the search history on ChatGPT intact, raising suspicion among investigators, considering that Advait is a techie and was quite technically savvy. The police are also investigating whether he had planned this, intentionally leaving behind his mobile phone and other evidence.
There are also unconfirmed reports that police officials, who checked Advait's background, allegedly found information that he was in relationships with many young women. The fact that no trace of the body was found despite a five-day search in the hills has led the investigation team to probe for more angles in the case.
Due to persistent rain and the treacherous terrain of the Shantala Drop, the search operations involving 100 personnel were called off on Tuesday evening. More information regarding this case will only surface once the cliff point search is conducted.
