Indian student from Karnataka found dead in US

Saketh Sreenivasaiah, the 22-year-old University of California, Berkeley student who had been missing since February 9, has been found dead. Sreenivasaiah, from Karnataka, was enrolled in the Master of Science programme at University of California, Berkeley. He had been reported missing since Monday. In a post on X, the Consulate said, “The Consulate deeply regrets to inform that local police have confirmed the recovery of the body of the missing Indian student, Saketh Sreenivasaiah.” “Our consular officers are in direct contact with the family and will support them with all required formalities and services,” the statement said.

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.

The Consulate stands…

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

A citywide search around Lake Anza and Berkeley Hills areas was launched when Sreenivasaiah went missing after being last seen around a kilometre away from the campus. Later, a backpack, containing his passport and laptop, was found near a residence close to Tilden Regional Park, also near the campus  in the Park Hills neighbourhood.
Local police had earlier appealed to residents for any information that could help trace him. Sreenivasaiah, who hailed from Karnataka, possessed a BTech in Chemical Engineering from IIT Madras, according to his LinkedIn profile. He graduated from the premier institute in 2025. At UC Berkeley, he was pursuing his master's in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Sreenivasaiah was among the six to hold a patent for inventing a "microchannel cooling system for hyperloop and a method thereof", per his LinkedIn profile. He had been described as a person with a quick wit, humility, brilliance and loyalty.

(State Correspondent)