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Student from Karnataka missing in US
Saketh Sreenivasaiah, a post-graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley, has been missing since February 9
A search operation is underway to locate a 22-year-old Indian student who went missing in the United States earlier this week, with the Karnataka government requesting the ministry of external affairs (MEA) to extend all necessary assistance with local law enforcement and provide support to the student’s family.
Saketh Sreenivasaiah, a post-graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley, from Tumakuru in Karnataka, has been missing since February 9. He was last seen near a lake in the Tilden Regional Park in California.Local police authorities have launched a search operation in and around the park area to trace the student, according to reports.
Saketh’s father Sreenivasaiah said he last spoke to his son on February 9. “We still haven’t been able to locate him. We are in touch with his roommates and others. We have written to the government seeking support and assistance to find our son,” he told news agency PTI.
In a letter, dated February 13, to Karnataka chief secretary Shalini Rajneesh seeking the state government’s cooperation and assistance, Saketh’s parents stated that his roommates had searched all known places and, after confirming he was untraceable, lodged a formal complaint with the Berkeley police department.
The Consulate General of India in San Francisco, in a post on X, expressed concern about Saketh’s disappearance. “The Consulate is in touch with the family and also is in contact with the concerned local authorities to locate the student,” it said.
Aarti Krishna, vice president of the Non-Resident Indian Association, said the consulate is coordinating with local authorities and monitoring developments closely. She said that Sreenivasaiah’s family contacted her on Saturday after losing contact with him. “As soon as I received the information, I contacted officials at the consulate in San Francisco and also informed the MEA. We have requested their intervention, and efforts are now being stepped up to trace Saketh at the earliest,” she added.
On Saturday, the Karnataka government requested the MEA to extend all necessary assistance. In a letter to foreign secretary Vikram Misri, state chief secretary Rajneesh said: “It is requested that the ministry of external affairs, through the Consulate General of India in San Francisco, extend all necessary assistance, including coordination with local law enforcement and facilitation of support to the family.”
With inputs from PTI
