‘Life as international student is tough’: Saketh Sreenivasaiah’s friend says after Indian-origin graduate’s body found in California lake

“Life as an international student is tough, man,” wrote Baneet Singh, the roommate of 22-year-old Indian-origin graduate student Saketh Sreenivasaiah, after his body was recovered from Lake Anza in California. Singh urged others to check in on friends and loved ones who are living in different countries and understand the challenges faced by students studying abroad.

Authorities recovered Sreenivasaiah’s body on Saturday, nearly six days after he was reported missing from the Berkeley area. A dive team located the remains around 2 pm and pulled them from the water.





Personal belongings, including his passport and laptop, were found earlier near the lake and in the nearby neighbourhood. This lead to an extensive search involving law enforcement and community volunteers.

Singh identified the body in a LinkedIn post shared after the discovery and described some worrying changes in Sreenivasaiah’s behaviour in the weeks before his disappearance. According to Singh, Saketh had been eating very little, at times “only surviving on chips and cookies,” and had withdrawn from social interaction.

Singh said that there were no signs of distress until about two weeks before Sreenivasaiah went missing, when his mood shifted and he “stopped caring” about daily activities.

Singh recalled a moment when Sreenivasaiah returned from class wearing a bathrobe. When asked why, Sreenivasaiah said: “I’ve stopped caring, man. I’m cold and don’t care what anyone thinks of me. I don’t care about anything.”

Singh initially laughed off the comment as a joke, only later realising how serious it was.

Singh also said he was coordinating with authorities to bring Sreenivasaiah’s family to the United States on an emergency visa following the discovery.

Local authorities had classified Sreenivasaiah as an at-risk missing person after he disappeared on February 9.

Indian travellers often face long waits for US visitor (B1/B2) visas, with interview appointment backlogs stretching up to a year or more in major Indian consulates. These extended delays make urgent travel for family emergencies, weddings or illness difficult, despite efforts to ease processing times.

US international students pursuing degrees typically hold an F‑1 visa, which allows full‑time study. Saketh Sreenivasaiah enrolled in a Master of Science programme at UC Berkeley in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering department.