In a heartbreaking development, the body of 22-year-old Indian student Saket Srinivasaiah has been recovered in California, USA, six days after he went missing. Saket, originally from Karnataka, was pursuing a Master’s degree in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley.
Saket was last seen on February 9 near the university campus, about a kilometer away. An extensive search operation swept through Berkeley, focusing on Anza Lake and the Berkeley Hills areas. Local police confirmed the tragic discovery, as verified by the Indian Consulate in San Francisco.
The consulate expressed profound grief on social media platform X, assuring the family of full support. Arrangements are underway to repatriate Saket’s remains to India swiftly. During the search, his backpack containing his passport and laptop was found near Tilden Regional Park, close to a house by the university.
A former IIT Madras student, Saket had completed his schooling at Sri Vani Education Centre in Bengaluru. Standing at six feet one inch, weighing around 160 pounds, with short black hair and brown eyes, he was remembered by friends and colleagues as brilliant, humble, talented, and reliable.
Notably, Saket was one of six inventors on a patent for a ‘Microchannel Cooling System for Hyperloop.’ His untimely death has left the academic and Indian diaspora communities in shock, prompting calls for thorough investigation into the circumstances. The consulate reiterated its commitment to aiding the family through this ordeal, ensuring all formalities are handled with utmost care.