Indian Student Found Dead in US Lake

A 22-year-old Indian student who had been reported missing in the United States has been found dead in California. The body of Saketh Sreenivasaiah was recovered from Lake Anza, located near the Berkeley Hills, local authorities confirmed. The information was shared by India’s diplomatic mission in San Francisco on Sunday.

Saketh, a native of Tumakuru in Karnataka, was pursuing a Master of Science in the Product Development Programme at the University of California, Berkeley. He was last seen on February 9 near a lake inside Tilden Regional Park.

The Consulate General of India in San Francisco expressed condolences to the family and stated that it is coordinating closely with local authorities. The mission has assured full support to Saketh’s parents, including assistance with formal procedures and arrangements for the repatriation of his mortal remains to India.

Just a day before the confirmation of his death, the Consulate had raised concerns about his disappearance and maintained contact with both the family and US authorities.

Saketh’s parents had earlier sought help from the Karnataka government. They approached Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, requesting state intervention after his roommates filed a missing person complaint with the Berkeley Police Department. In response, the Karnataka government wrote to the Ministry of External Affairs, urging necessary diplomatic assistance through the Indian Consulate.

Before joining UC Berkeley, Saketh completed his Bachelor of Technology in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras.

Investigations into the circumstances surrounding his death are underway.