Bengaluru parents refuse to accept Saketh Sreenivasaiah's death in US: 'We believe he's still alive'

• Missing Indian student Saketh Sreenivasaiah found dead in US
• Family seeks emergency visas to see Saketh's body in the US
• Indian Consulate offers help with repatriation and formalities

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Days after the 22-year-old student from Karnataka went missing in the United States, authorities have confirmed that his body has been found. The Consulate General of India in San Francisco shared the information on Sunday, stating that local police had recovered the body of Saketh Sreenivasaiah.

However, back home in Bengaluru, Saketh’s parents are unable to accept the news. They say they will believe their son has died only after seeing his body themselves.

“We will only accept that he is dead if she (Saketh’s mother) sees his dead body. Till then, we believe he is alive,” Saketh’s father, Srinivasaiah Thammannagowda, told Karnataka MLC Arathi Krishna, who visited the family at their home on Sunday, The Indian Express reported.

Parents want to travel to US

Although the Indian Consulate has said arrangements will be made to bring Saketh’s body back to India, his parents have requested permission to travel to the US instead. They want to personally go there and see their son.

The family refused to speak to the media and also asked government officials who visited their house to leave. Only MLC Arathi Krishna, who is also the deputy chairman of the NRI Forum of Karnataka, was allowed to meet them.

“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,” Krishna was quoted by The Indian Express as saying.

The family has now sought the Indian government’s help in getting emergency visas, as they believe Saketh may still be alive.

Bright academic journey cut short

Saketh had completed his BTech in Chemical Engineering from IIT Madras before moving to the US on September 4 last year. He was pursuing post-graduation in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of California.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Saketh was listed as one of six co-inventors on a patent related to a “microchannel cooling system for hyperloop and a method thereof.” Family members and neighbours described him as intelligent, hardworking and humble.

His neighbour Rajanna said, “He used to wash and clean his father’s car and was very decent. I cannot imagine the pain the parents are going through. They are making all efforts to go to the US.”

Last contact and search efforts

According to Krishna, Saketh last contacted his family on February 8, a day before he went missing. “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,” she said.

When Saketh did not respond to calls after February 9, the family assumed he was busy with studies or work. On February 12, his housemate, Baneet Singh, informed the parents that Saketh was missing.

Following this, 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. Police in Berkeley also launched a search operation.

Early Sunday morning at 5.12 am, the Indian Consulate 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.”

Saketh is survived by his parents and a younger brother. His father runs a small business, while his mother works as a state government employee.