30-Year-Old Bengaluru Techie Bharat Goes Missing During Trekking In Mudigere, Body Traced Near Belthangady

A 30-year-old techie from Bengaluru, Bharat. S, who had gone missing since three days near the renowned tourist destination of Rani Jhari View Point near Durgadahalli Gudda in Mudigere taluk, Chikkamagaluru was found dead on Saturday.

The discovery of his body in a deep, narrow valley with steep sides near the falls in Belthangady taluk brought a heartbreaking end to the search. The steep terrain and the decomposed state of the body, with maggots present, suggest a possible fall from a considerable height, likely around 4,000 feet.

Upon reaching Durgada Halli on December 6 for a solo trek towards Rani Jhari, Bharat lost all contact with his family, and attempts to reach him via his mobile proved futile. On Friday, his relatives travelled from Bengaluru and lodged a missing person report at the Belur police station.

A search and rescue mission commenced on Saturday morning. Authorities deployed a search team of 25 personnel and utilized seven drone cameras to scan the vast area around Maidadi in Belthangady taluk. The search team made their way down from the Maidadi side of the hill and located the body in a region under Belthangady taluk, leaving Bharat's family and friends engulfed in deep sorrow and grappling with unanswered queries about his last moments.

The possibility of suicide lingers, given that the body was found directly below the viewpoint near Rani Jhari. However, police are yet to issue an official statement regarding this speculation.

Reports suggest that Bharat, an engineering graduate, had recently been laid off by a private company in Bengaluru. The company had paid him three month's salary.