Karnataka student death in San Francisco: Family in shock, not ready to accept he’s gone

Bengaluru:: In western Bengaluru’s Srigandhada Kaval, the family of 22-year-old Saketh Sreenivasaiah remains in a state of shock and disbelief. 

Saketh, a UC Berkeley student who moved to the US on September 5, 2025, was found dead near Lake Anza on Saturday afternoon. His body was recovered by divers after a six-day intensive search. 

Despite the official news, his parents are not ready to accept that their son is gone. Clinging to the hope that he is still alive, they have even asked neighbours and relatives to stay away for now. 

“We cannot accept this until we see him with our own eyes,” a relative told DH. “The news is just words, until there is a physical identification or proof.” 

Saketh was an exceptional student, an alumnus of IIT Madras, and a co-inventor of a patent for hyperloop cooling systems. He had been in constant touch with his family for the last six months, said another relative. 

Neighbours and relatives described him as a good, studious young man.

“He was very studious and a man to himself, he didn’t bother others,” a neighbour said. The mystery began on February 12 when he disappeared, and his backpack and laptop were later found abandoned on a doorstep near a park.  While the Berkeley police are yet to confirm if the death was a suicide or a murder, Saketh’s roommate, Baneet Singh, noted on a LinkedIn post that Saketh had recently become withdrawn. Singh recalled Saketh saying, “I’ve stopped caring, man. I don’t care about anything.” 

However, the family remains suspicious of the circumstances. Currently, they are working with officials to secure emergency visas. 

MLC Arathi Krishna, who is coordinating the process, told this reporter: “The parents are in a state of shock. They want to fly out immediately to confirm the identity themselves. We are working to ensure their visas are processed by Tuesday or Wednesday.”