Hyderabad: A promising Indian scholar, 22-year-old Saketh Sreenivasaiah, who had been pursuing a master’s degree in chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, was found dead on February 14 in Lake Anza in California, six days after he was reported missing.
Local authorities are treating the case as an apparent suicide, and the Indian Consulate in San Francisco has expressed condolences and offered support to his family as they make arrangements to travel to the United States.
Sreenivasaiah, originally from Tumakuru in Karnataka and an alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology Madras, had last been seen on February 9 near the Berkeley hills. His backpack containing his passport and laptop was found abandoned, prompting an urgent search by police and volunteers.
In the weeks leading up to his disappearance, his behaviour changed in ways that worried close friend and roommate Baneet Singh. In a LinkedIn post that quickly went viral, Singh said that Saketh had begun withdrawing from regular activities, eating very little and engaging less with others, often surviving on snacks like chips and cookies. “Life as an international student is tough,” Singh wrote, reflecting on how initially there were no clear signs until about two weeks before he vanished.
Singh also recalled their last conversation, saying he once saw Saketh returning from class wearing a red bathrobe. When Singh asked why he was dressed that way, Saketh replied, “I’ve stopped caring, man. I’m cold and don’t care what anyone thinks of me. I don’t care about anything.” At the time, Singh said he laughed, thinking it was one of his friend’s usual offbeat comments, only to later realise how serious those words were.
In his post, Singh reflected, “Now I know that he really meant it. The opposite of life was never death. It was indifference. To stop caring, which led to him not caring for his own life, either.” His message struck a chord online, bringing attention to the pressures faced by students far from home and prompting others to check on their friends and loved ones.
As the grief spreads through the campus community and beyond, many have been moved by Singh’s transparency and urgency, making his LinkedIn appeal widely shared across social platforms. The post’s visibility has also led Singh to make his account private to protect his privacy during this painful time.
The incident has reignited discussions about mental health awareness among international students, with peers and university officials emphasising the importance of support and connection when someone shows signs of distress.
If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out to a trusted friend, family member or a mental health professional.
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