Days after a 22-year-old student from Karnataka went missing in the United States, the Consulate General of India in San Francisco confirmed that local law enforcement had recovered Saketh Sreenivasaiah’s body.
However, Saketh’s parents, who are in Bengaluru, are struggling to come to terms with the news. They assert that they will only accept their son’s death once they have seen his body with their own eyes.
Saketh Sreenivasaiah’s parents still in disbelief
“We will only accept that he is dead if she (Saketh’s mother) sees his dead body. Till then, we believe he is alive,” stated Saketh’s father, Srinivasaiah Thammannagowda, during a visit from Karnataka MLC Arathi Krishna to their residence on Sunday, reported The Indian Express.
Despite the Indian Consulate’s assurance that arrangements will be made to repatriate Saketh’s body to India, his parents have expressed a desire to travel to the US. They wish to personally visit and see their son’s remains.
The family declined to engage with the media and requested that government officials who came to their residence depart. Only MLC Arathi Krishna, who also serves as the deputy chairman of the NRI Forum of Karnataka, was permitted to meet with 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 said, as per The Indian Express.
Saketh Sreenivasaiah’s parents seeks emergency visa
The family has now sought assistance from the Indian government in obtaining emergency visas, as they hold the belief that Saketh may still be alive.
Saketh had successfully completed his BTech in Chemical Engineering at IIT Madras before relocating to the US on September 4 in 2025. He was engaged in post-graduate studies in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of California.
As per Krishna, Saketh last reached out to his family on February 8, the day preceding his disappearance. He called his mother, but she was unable to answer as she was at work, he said. “Later, he called his younger brother and spoke to him. After that, no calls were made,” she stated.
When Saketh failed to respond to calls after February 9, the family presumed he was occupied with his studies or work commitments. On February 12, his housemate, Baneet Singh, notified the parents that Saketh was missing.
Saketh is survived by his parents and a younger brother. His father operates a small business, whereas his mother is employed by the state government.
