A 22-year-old student from Karnataka, Saketh Sreenivasaiah, who had gone missing in the United States earlier this month, has been found dead, the Consulate General of India in San Francisco said on Sunday. But back home in Bengaluru, his parents are still struggling to come to terms with the news. For them, the pain is too raw, and the belief that their son might still be alive has not faded. “It could be a case of mistaken identity…,” they told MLC Arathi Krishna.
‘We believe he’s still alive’: Karnataka student’s parents refuse to accept loss
Speaking to MLC Arathi Krishna, who visited their home on Sunday and also serves as the deputy chairman of the NRI Forum of Karnataka, Saketh Sreenivasaiah’s father, Srinivasaiah Thammannagowda, said, “We will only accept that he is dead if she (Saketh’s mother) sees his dead body. Till then, we believe he is alive.”
So far, the family has refused to speak to the media. They even turned away some government officials who came to meet them. Arathi Krishna was the only person allowed inside the family’s home in D Group Layout, Srirgandada Kaval, in Bengaluru. “The family is in disbelief. They say their son was an extremely strong-willed person. They are not asking to bring the body to India but want to go to the US themselves,” she told The Indian Express.
Saketh had completed his B Tech in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras. On September 4 last year, he left for the US to pursue post-graduation in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of California.
According to his LinkedIn profile, he was among six co-inventors listed on a patent for a “microchannel cooling system for hyperloop and a method thereof.” For his family and neighbours, he was not just talented but grounded.
The last calls before he went missing
According to Krishna, Saketh last tried to contact his family on February 8, a day before he disappeared. “He rang up his mother but she did not receive the call as she was in the office. Later, he called his younger brother and spoke to him. After that, no calls were made. The family tried to reach him over phone after February 9 but when he did not pick the call, they assumed he could be busy with his studies or work. On February 12, his housemate Baneet Singh called the parents and informed them that he was missing,” she said.
After learning that their son was missing, the family reached out to Karnataka Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh and the Chief Minister’s Office. Rajneesh wrote to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, seeking help from the Ministry of External Affairs. Meanwhile, police in Berkeley began searching for Saketh.
Even now, the family has asked the Indian government to help them get an emergency visa so they can travel to the US. They believe that until they see things for themselves, they cannot accept what has been told to them.
The Consulate’s statement
At 5.12 am on Sunday, the Consulate General of India in San Francisco posted on X: “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 ready to provide all necessary assistance to the family, including coordination with local authorities and arrangements for the repatriation of mortal remains to India at the earliest. Our consular officers are in direct contact with the family and will support them with all required formalities and services.”