The search for missing Indian scholar Saket Srinivasaiah, 22, ended in sorrow as his body was found in California’s Berkeley region. Hailing from Karnataka, the brilliant mind was deep into his Master’s in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at UC Berkeley when he vanished six days prior.
Eyewitnesses last spotted him on February 9, roughly a kilometer from campus. Rescue teams combed the city, zeroing in on Anza Lake and surrounding Berkeley Hills. San Francisco’s Indian Consulate confirmed the grim news, vowing comprehensive assistance to his devastated family.
Posting a condolence message on X, the consulate detailed plans to expedite the transport of his body back home. Key evidence emerged when searchers located his backpack—with passport and laptop intact—near Tilden Regional Park by a residential area close to the university.
Saket’s pedigree was impressive: an IIT Madras alumnus with schooling from Bengaluru’s Sri Vani Education Centre. At 6’1″, 160 pounds, short black hair, brown eyes, he embodied excellence. Peers hailed his sharp intellect, modesty, and inventive spirit, highlighted by his co-invention on a Hyperloop microchannel cooling patent.
As the community mourns, questions linger about what led to this tragedy. The consulate stands firm in supporting the family, navigating bureaucratic hurdles to provide closure amid profound loss.