Pune: Youth Missing After Fall From Sinhagad Fort; Search Operation Continues
Pune: Youth Missing After Fall From Sinhagad Fort; Search Operation Continues
Pune, August 21, 2025 – A youth, identified as Gautam Gaikwad (24), went missing after reportedly falling into a deep gorge from the Tanhaji Cliff at Sinhagad Fort during a monsoon trip with friends. Despite extensive search efforts, he remains untraceable.
Gaikwad, originally from Phaltan in Satara and currently residing in Hyderabad, had arrived at Sinhagad Fort with four friends – Mahesh Shinde, Himanshu Shukla, Vaishnavi Alagude and Suraj Mali – on Wednesday afternoon. Around 4:30 pm, they reached the cliff area where Gaikwad told his friends he was stepping aside briefly. When he did not return, they searched for him and later found only his slippers near the spot.
Police were alerted around 7:45 pm, and disaster management teams, local authorities, and forest officials began search operations despite heavy rain, strong winds and challenging terrain. The operation was halted at 11 pm due to darkness and resumed at 6 am Thursday.
By 4 pm, Gaikwad was still missing as rescue teams continued their efforts. Authorities have urged tourists to exercise extreme caution while trekking in the monsoon season.
