Hyderabad Youth Goes Missing at Pune’s Sinhagad Fort; Mystery Deepens With CCTV Footage
Sinhagad, 22nd August 2025: The mysterious disappearance of a 24-year-old youth from Hyderabad at Sinhagad Fort has left police grappling with whether the case is a tragic accident or the result of foul play.
The missing man, identified as Gautam Gaikwad, had travelled to the popular tourist destination with four friends and a female companion on Wednesday evening. According to police, the group spent time clicking photographs and recording videos at the fort before Gautam stepped aside briefly. He left his mobile phone with a friend and did not return.
When his friends began searching, they found his slippers lying near a cliff close to the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) building. Despite continuous efforts, neither Gautam nor any other trace of him has been found for over 24 hours.
What has deepened the mystery is CCTV footage retrieved from the Kundanpur checkpoint of the Forest Conservation Committee. Roughly two hours after Gautam went missing, a man wearing a hoodie was seen running behind a vehicle, covering his face. Investigators are yet to confirm whether the individual was Gautam himself or another person entirely. The man’s concealed appearance has raised suspicions of possible sabotage.
Haveli Police, assisted by the Forest Department, have launched a large-scale search operation in and around the fort. They are pursuing two lines of investigation – whether Gautam accidentally slipped near the cliff or whether his disappearance was staged or connected to criminal activity.
Gautam was last seen in a yellow raincoat, as shown in videos recorded earlier by his friends. The hooded figure in the footage, however, was dressed differently, adding to the confusion.
Family members, who describe Gautam as a cheerful and energetic person, have appealed to authorities for complete cooperation in finding him. Local residents and tourists have also been urged to share any information about Gautam or the unidentified hooded individual.
Sinhagad, one of Pune’s most frequented tourist attractions, welcomes thousands of visitors daily. Following the incident, citizens have criticized the lack of protective barriers and inadequate CCTV coverage around the fort, demanding that the Tourism Development Corporation improve safety measures immediately.
For now, the disappearance of Gautam Gaikwad remains an unresolved puzzle – accident or conspiracy, only the ongoing investigation will reveal.
