Missing Karnataka student Saketh Sreenivasaiah found dead in California
22-year-old IIT Madras alumnus and UC Berkeley master’s student’s body recovered near Berkeley Hills; Indian consulate assures assistance for repatriation and extends condolences
A 22-year-old Indian student has been found dead in California, six days after he went missing. Saketh Sreenivasaiah, a student from Karnataka pursuing a master’s in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, disappeared on February 9.
The Indian consulate in San Francisco confirmed that police had recovered his body and assured that all necessary assistance would be provided for its repatriation to India at the earliest. "We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones during this profoundly difficult time," the statement read.
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A citywide search was launched around the Lake Anza and Berkeley Hills areas after Sreenivasaiah was last seen about a kilometre from the campus. Later, a backpack containing his passport and laptop was discovered near a residence close to Tilden Regional Park, also in the vicinity of the campus.
Community members mobilised online to support the search for Sreenivasaiah, with a Reddit thread tracking coordinated efforts to locate him.
Sreenivasaiah, an IIT Madras alumnus, was pursuing his master’s degree at Berkeley. He attended Bengaluru's Sri Vani Education Centre during his school years. He was described as six feet one inch tall, weighing around 160 pounds, with short black hair and brown eyes.
He was one of six inventors holding a patent for a "microchannel cooling system for hyperloop and a method thereof," according to his LinkedIn profile. He was remembered as a person of quick wit, humility, brilliance, and loyalty.
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In response to a question raised by MP Asaduddin Owaisi in the Lok Sabha about the safety of students abroad, the Ministry of External Affairs highlighted its ongoing efforts to protect Indian students. "Indian Missions/Posts also take steps to maintain regular contact with Indian students enrolled in foreign universities under their jurisdictions and conduct pre-orientation sessions upon their arrival to brief them on potential challenges, risks, and precautions while studying overseas, including issuing advisories from time to time," the statement read.