‘I’ve stopped caring, man’: UC Berkeley student’s haunting words before body found in California lake

Saketh Sreenivasaiah

• Missing Indian student Saketh Sreenivasaiah found dead in lake
• He was a UC Berkeley master's student from Karnataka, India
• Indian Consulate aiding family with repatriation and legal help

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A week-long search for 22-year-old Indian student Saketh Sreenivasaiah ended in tragedy when authorities recovered his body from Lake Anza in California on Saturday, February 14. The lake is situated inside Tilden Regional Park near the Berkeley Hills. The Indian Consulate in San Francisco confirmed the development in a post on X, offering “heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones during this profoundly difficult time”.

Police have not yet disclosed the official cause of death.

A promising journey cut short

Originally from Tumakuru in Karnataka, Sreenivasaiah was pursuing a Master of Science in the Product Development Programme at the University of California, Berkeley. Before moving to the United States, he had completed a Bachelor of Technology in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras.

His disappearance had sparked concern both in India and on the UC Berkeley campus. His father last spoke to him on February 9, the same day he was last seen. When he failed to return to his residence, his roommates began searching for him at familiar locations. After their efforts yielded no results, they approached the Berkeley Police Department and filed a formal complaint.

As the search intensified, a significant clue surfaced: his backpack, containing his passport and laptop, was found placed on a doorstep in the Park Hills area.

The Indian mission in San Francisco had earlier expressed serious concern about his disappearance, stating that it was in continuous contact with the family and local authorities. Within a day, confirmation arrived that his body had been recovered from Lake Anza.

‘I have stopped caring, man’

In the days following the discovery, details from Sreenivasaiah’s final weeks began to emerge. His roommate, Baneet Singh, shared a deeply personal account in a LinkedIn post that was later made private.

According to Singh, the last fortnight before he went missing had been marked by noticeable changes. He wrote that Sreenivasaiah had “started eating less and engaging less, only surviving on chips and cookies”. Though life as an international student can be demanding, Singh suggested that his friend had been going through a particularly difficult phase.

He recounted a moment that now feels haunting in hindsight. One day, Sreenivasaiah returned from class “wearing a red bathrobe”. When Singh asked why he had worn a robe to lectures, the reply came bluntly: “I've stopped caring, man. I'm cold and don't care what anyone thinks of me. I don't care about anything”.

Singh admitted that he did not grasp the gravity of the remark at the time. He said he laughed, assuming his friend was “just being silly as usual”.

Looking back, he reflected, “The opposite of life was never death. It was indifference. To stop caring, which led to him not caring for his own life, either”.

An invitation declined

Singh also revealed that Sreenivasaiah had invited him to Lake Anza on January 21, weeks before he disappeared. He declined the invitation, attributing his decision to laziness.

The sudden loss has shaken friends and family alike. Sreenivasaiah’s parents, desperate for updates during the search, had written to Karnataka chief secretary Shalini Rajneesh on February 13, requesting state intervention. Subsequently, the Karnataka government approached the ministry of external affairs, asking that the Consulate General in San Francisco provide all necessary support.

The consulate has assured the family that it is extending assistance with the required legal and logistical processes, including arrangements for repatriating his mortal remains. Singh has also said he is coordinating with authorities to help bring Sreenivasaiah’s family to the United States on an emergency visa.

“I didn't expect this from a friend who lived, ate, travelled, laughed and joked with me. It hurts,” Singh wrote, urging others to check in on those around them.