Missing Indian student Saketh Sreenivasaiah found dead in US, consulate confirms

A 22-year-old Indian postgraduate student who had been missing in the United States for nearly a week was found dead in California on Saturday, authorities have confirmed.Saketh Sreenivasaiah, a native of Tumakuru, Karnataka and a master’s student at the University of California, Berkeley, had been unaccounted for since February 9 after last being seen near Lake Anza in the Berkeley Hills, local reports said.

The Consulate General of India in San Francisco expressed deep regret over his death after local police recovered his body, and extended condolences to his family and loved ones.
The mission said it is working with authorities to provide “all necessary assistance,” including help with paperwork and arrangements to repatriate his remains to India “at the earliest.”Sreenivasaiah was pursuing a Master of Science degree in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and was an alumnus of IIT Madras, where he completed his undergraduate studies in 2025, according to media reports.

His disappearance had prompted a search involving local police and community volunteers, with his backpack, containing personal items including his passport and laptop, reportedly found near a residence in the area earlier in the week.

Authorities have not yet released detailed findings on the cause or circumstances of death, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Before authorities confirmed his death, the Karnataka government had sought the Centre’s intervention in the matter.

In a letter to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh requested that the Ministry of External Affairs act through the Consulate in San Francisco to assist in the case.

“It is requested that the Ministry of External Affairs, through the Consulate General of India in San Francisco, extend all necessary assistance, including coordination with local law enforcement and facilitation of support to the family,” Rajneesh wrote.

Saketh Sreenivasaiah father had earlier told PTI, “We still haven’t been able to locate him. We are in touch with his roommates and others. We have written to the government seeking support and assistance to find our son.”