Indian Student From Karnataka Found Dead In California 6 Days After He Went Missing

New Delhi: The search for Saketh Sreenivasaiah, a 22-year-old Indian postgraduate student at UC Berkeley who had been missing since February 9, has ended in tragedy as the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Sunday confirmed that his body was recovered near the Tilden Regional Park area in California.

Taking to X, the Indian Consulate in San Francisco tweeted and confirmed about recovering the body of Saketh. 

Their statement read, "The Consulate deeply regrets to inform that local police have confirmed the recovery of the body of the missing Indian student, Saketh Sreenivasaiah. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones during this profoundly difficult time."

It further added, "The Consulate stands ready to provide all necessary assistance to the family, including coordination with local authorities and arrangements for the repatriation of mortal remains to India at the earliest. Our consular officers are in direct contact with the family and will support them with all required formalities and services."

What was the case?

Saketh, reported missing on February 9, was a native of Tumakuru, Karnataka and was a master’s student in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley.

He was also an alumnus of IIT Madras, where he had completed his B.Tech in 2025, as per his LinkedIn profile.

Before going missing, the Indian student was last spotted near Lake Anza in the Berkeley hills, while his backpack, containing his passport and laptop, was found on a doorstep in the neighbourhood, per a local media report.

Roomate sought help on LinkedIn

Following his disappearance, Sreenivasaiah's roommate, Baneet Singh, had also turned to LinkedIn earlier to appeal for public assistance in locating him.

He wrote on the platform, “Hey all, my roommate, Saketh Sreenivasaiah, has been missing since Monday the 9th, last seen near Lake Anza in the Berkeley hills. If anyone of my connects knows people in the area who has seen him recently, please reach out to me with any information. I'm working with the police dept desperately to make sure we find him. It's a hard time for us right now. Please provide any information that could help.”

Karnataka Government Intervention 

Before the recovery, the Karnataka government, led by Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, had officially requested the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to intervene and assist the family in the United States. 

The local community and fellow students at UC Berkeley have expressed deep shock over the loss of the promising young scholar, who was described by friends as highly dedicated to his research in deep-tech innovations.

What Sreenivasaiah's roommate said

Following Sreenivasaiah's death, his roommate- Baneet Singh- in a post on LinkedIn, shared an update saying, "Hey all, my Berkeley roommate, Saketh Sreenivasaiah, has been found dead in Lake Anza near the Berkeley hills."

Singh stated that he is coordinating with official channels to secure emergency visas for Sreenivasaiah’s family, facilitating their travel from India to the United States.

Reflecting on the hardships faced by international students, Singh noted that Sreenivasaiah showed no visible signs of struggle until very recently. He observed a sharp decline in the 22-year-old’s well-being over the last fortnight, stating that he had become withdrawn and had "started eating less and engaging less, only surviving on chips and cookies".

Singh added that Saketh Sreenivasaiah had asked him to visit Lake Anza on January 21. However, Singh declined the invitation at the time, citing personal lethargy as the reason he did not accompany him.

'Don't care what anyone thinks of me'

Recalling their final interaction, Baneet Singh remembered seeing the 22-year-old returning from university draped in a red bathrobe. 

Singh asked him, "Why are you wearing a robe to class?" Sreenivasaiah responded, “I've stopped caring, man. I'm cold and don't care what anyone thinks of me. I don't care about anything.”

Singh regretted laughing at his roommate's remarks at the time, saying he thought "Saketh was just being silly as usual".

He was always up to something silly. Now I know that he really meant it. The opposite of life was never death. It was indifference. To stop caring, which led to him not caring for his own life, either," Singh wrote in his public post on LinkedIn.

Reminder to all

Baneet Singh called on people to take Sreenivasaiah's death as a reminder to reach out to loved ones and check on them. "I didn't expect this from a friend who lived, ate, travelled, laughed and joked with me. It hurts," he added.

He stated that he would be taking time off from social media to mourn and spend time with his friends, urging others to do the same.

"Take this news as a way to bring together love with friends, instead of sitting in sorrow. Saketh would have wanted that for you all, too," Singh wrote.

Not the first time

Indian students abroad often complained of alleged discrimination, racist attacks and negligence by authorities.

In a question raised by MP Asaduddin Owaisi in the Lok Sabha about student safety abroad, the Ministry of External Affairs highlighted its efforts towards keeping Indian students safe.

In its answer to the question by the MP, the MEA wrote, “The Government accords high priority to safety and security of Indian students abroad and monitors incidents of violence against them. Violent and untoward incidents against them are immediately taken up by the Indian Missions/Posts abroad with the concerned authorities of the host country to ensure that they are properly investigated and the perpetrators are punished.”

Also Read: 'Deeply Concerned': 22-Year-Old Indian Student From Karnataka Goes Missing In US, Roommate Seeks Help On LinkedIn