The Consulate General of India in San Francisco expressed “deep concern” over the disappearance of a student from Karnataka studying in the US. The Indian post-graduate student, Saketh Sreenivasaiah, went missing in California on 9 February.

The Consulate General of India in San Francisco confirmed the news in a post on X. It said, “Consulate General of India in San Francisco is deeply concerned about the disappearance of Saketh Sreenivasaiah, an Indian post-graduate student of UC Berkeley, hailing from the State of Karnataka.”

“The Consulate is in touch with the family and also is in contact with the concerned local authorities to locate the student,” the statement added.

Who is Saketh Sreenivasaiah?

Saketh Sreenivasaiah, 22, was pursuing his Master of Science in Product Development Programme from the University of California, Berkeley.

“I’m a Masters student in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering department at UC Berkeley, with an undergraduate degree from IIT Madras. I’m passionate about deep-tech innovations in soft and active materials, semiconductors, and advanced materials,” Sreenivasaiah wrote on his LinkedIn profile.

He was an alumnus of the Institute of Technology, Madras. At IIT Madras, he pursued a Bachelor of Technology in chemical engineering.

What we know about Karnataka student’s missing case so far

According to NDTV, authorities said Sreenivasaiah was last seen around a kilometre away from the campus.

Local news outlet SFGate cited the Berkeley Police Department as saying that Sreenivasaiah was spotted in the 1700 block of Dwight Way on 10 February.

Later, a backpack containing Sreenivasaiah’s passport and a laptop was found near a residence close to Tilden Regional Park, also near the campus, the report added.

Meanwhile, police reportedly described Sreenivasaiah as 6 feet 1 inch tall with short, black hair and brown eyes. They said he is considered at risk and asked people with any leads or information about him to come forward.

Following this, a citywide search was launched, with a focus on Lake Anza and the surrounding Berkeley Hills areas.

Community members and classmates also mobilised online to aid in the search.