Parents Of Indian Student Found Dead In US Want To Collect Body Themselves

The family of a 22-year-old Indian postgraduate student, who was found dead in the US days after he went missing, is still struggling to come to terms with the fact he is no more.

They want to visit Berkeley personally to collect the body of Saketh Sreenivasaiah and urge the authorities to speed up the probe.

Saketh Sreenivasaiah, a student at the University of California, Berkeley, hailing from Karnataka, had been missing since February 9.

"They are unable to believe that he has really passed away. He had spoken to them a day before he went missing and everything seemed normal and routine. Saketh also never hinted at being under stress or facing any problems," MLC Arathi Krishna who met Saketh's father Sreenivasaiah and his mother Anupama on Sunday their residence here told PTI.

Krishna, who also serves as deputy chairman of NRI Forum of Karnataka, said Saketh's family has no relatives in the US and feel that if the body is simply sent back, the investigation may slow down.

"His parents still feel that they want to go there and ensure that a proper investigation is carried out. They somehow believe that everything seemed normal, and they are unable to understand how this could have happened. That is why they want to go in person. They have sought my assistance and I am helping them to secure an emergency visa as soon as possible so that they can travel immediately," she said.

Krishna added that they feel that when they go there and identify the body, it may not be him, as they are still in shock and unable to accept the loss.

"They want to go personally to collect the body and also speak to the university and police authorities to understand the details of the investigation. They have requested that the probe be expedited and taken seriously," Krishna added.

In a social media post on Saturday (local time), the Indian Consulate in San Francisco confirmed the recovery of the student's body.

Sreenivasaiah was enrolled in the Master of Science programme at the University of California, Berkeley.

His backpack, with his passport and laptop, was found on a doorstep in the Park Hills neighbourhood, The Berkeley Scanner news portal had reported.

Earlier, local police had urged anyone with information about Sreenivasaiah to notify local law enforcement.

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