Saketh Sreenivasaiah, Indian UC Berkeley Student, Found Dead 6 Days After Going Missing in California

22-year-old Saketh Sreenivasaiah, a chemical and biomolecular engineering master’s student from Karnataka, India, was found dead at Lake Anza in California six days after going missing. Sreenivasaiah, who had been excelling academically at University of California, Berkeley, reportedly suffered a mental health breakdown prior to his disappearance.

Sreenivasaiah was last seen on February 9, approximately one kilometer from the UC Berkeley campus. A citywide search was launched in the Lake Anza and Berkeley Hills areas after he failed to return. Authorities later recovered a backpack containing his passport and laptop near a residence close to Tilden Regional Park, near the campus.

The Indian Consulate in San Francisco confirmed the recovery of his body and assured that all necessary assistance would be provided to repatriate him to India. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones during this profoundly difficult time,” the statement read.

An alumnus of IIT Madras, Sreenivasaiah had previously studied at Bengaluru’s Sri Vani Education Centre. He was described as six feet one inch tall, weighing approximately 160 pounds, with short black hair and brown eyes. He was among six co-holders of a patent for inventing a “microchannel cooling system for hyperloop and a method thereof.” Friends and colleagues remembered him for his quick wit, humility, brilliance, and loyalty.

The UC Berkeley community and wider online networks mobilized to aid the search, including through Reddit threads and social media posts. His roommate, Baneet Singh, said the strain of Sreenivasaiah’s academic and personal pressures was not evident to those around him.

Consulate General of India in San Francisco is deeply concerned about the disappearance of Saketh Sreenivasaiah, an Indian post-graduate student of UC Berkeley, hailing from the State of Karnataka. The Consulate is in touch with the family and also is in contact with the…

— India in San Francisco (@CGISFO) February 14, 2026

In response to concerns about Indian students abroad, MP Asaduddin Owaisi raised questions in the Lok Sabha. The Ministry of External Affairs highlighted ongoing efforts to keep Indian students safe, including regular contact by Indian missions and pre-orientation briefings to inform students of potential risks while studying overseas.

This tragic incident has drawn attention to the mental health challenges faced by international students and the importance of support systems for those studying abroad.