A 22-year-old Indian student, Saketh Sreenivasaiah, was found dead in the United States six days after he was reported missing. The student from Karnataka was pursuing a master’s degree in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at University of California, Berkeley.
Disappearance And Search
Saketh went missing on February 9 after he was last seen about a kilometre from campus. Authorities launched a city-wide search in areas around Berkeley Hills and nearby Lake Anza.
During the search:
- His backpack containing passport and laptop was found near a residence close to Tilden Regional Park
- Local community members also helped online efforts to locate him
Body Recovered
Police later recovered his body, the Indian Consulate in San Francisco confirmed, expressing condolences and assuring help in repatriating the remains to India.
About The Student
- Studied earlier at IIT Madras
- From Bengaluru’s Sri Vani Education Centre
- Co-inventor of a patented microchannel cooling system technology
Friends described him as intelligent, humble and supportive.
Safety Of Students Abroad
The incident comes amid continued discussion on safety of Indian students overseas. The Ministry of External Affairs said Indian missions regularly stay in touch with students and provide advisories and orientation about risks while studying abroad.
