Washington: The Consulate General of India in San Francisco has expressed deep concern over the disappearance of a 22-year-old Indian student at the University of California in Berkeley, as local authorities continue search operations in the East Bay area.
“Consulate General of India in San Francisco is deeply concerned about the disappearance of Saketh Sreenivasaiah, an Indian post-graduate student of University of California, Berkeley, hailing from Karnataka,” the Consulate said Friday in a post on social media platform X.
“The Consulate is in touch with the family and also is in contact with the concerned local authorities to locate the student,” it added.
According to Berkeley police, a search is underway near Lake Anza for the missing student, who was last seen Tuesday.
“Saketh Sreenivasaiah, 22, was reportedly upset about a relationship,” police said.
His backpack, containing his passport and laptop, was found on a doorstep in the Park Hills neighbourhood next to Tilden Regional Park.
“We are working with EBRPD (East Bay Regional Park District) to coordinate ongoing search efforts,” the Berkeley Police Department said.
“We are still asking for the community’s help in locating him.”
Police said Sreenivasaiah was last seen in the 1700 block of Dwight Way, near McGee Avenue.
He is described as six feet one inches, weighing about 160 pounds, with short black hair and brown eyes.
The police identified him as Indian.
Berkeley police have urged anyone with information about Sreenivasaiah to notify local law enforcement.
Sreenivasaiah has been pursuing his Master’s degree in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering department at UC Berkeley, according to his LinkedIn profile.
He previously earned his undergraduate degree from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, one of India’s top engineering institutions.
The case has drawn attention from the Indian diplomatic mission in the United States, with the Consulate coordinating with authorities and the family as the search continues.
