E-Paper
Sign In
Indian student found dead in US took his life, says roommate at UC Berkeley
There were no signs of anything until the last two weeks, when Saketh Sreenivasaiah started eating less and engaging less, only surviving on chips and cookies, shares his friend
- PUBLISHED: Mon 16 Feb 2026, 12:40 PM
While investigations are still ongoing about the death of Saketh Sreenivasaiah, a 22-year-old student from Karnataka who was doing his post-graduate studies at the University of California Berkeley, one of his close friends said it was a case of apparent suicide.
“My Berkeley roommate, Saketh Sreenivasaiah, has been found dead by suicide in Lake Anza near the Berkeley Hills, according to police,” said Baneet Singh in his LinkedIn post.
Recommended For You
“The entire community has been shocked to the core," added Singh, whose LinkedIn post has been turned private.
“There were no signs of anything until the last two weeks, when he (Sreenivasaiah) started eating less and engaging less, only surviving on chips and cookies,” noted Singh. His friend had last month invited him to visit Lake Anza, but he was too lazy to go. “Little did I know that would be the same place he’d take his life,” wrote Singh.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels
The last time the two spoke, Singh found Sreenivasaiah wearing a red bathrobe to class. “I asked him ‘why are you wearing a robe to class’, with a smirk on my face,” Singh mentioned in his post. “He 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 said he dismissed what Sreenivasaiah told him then. "(But) now I know that he really meant it. The opposite of life was never death; it was indifference. To stop caring. Which led to him not caring for his own life, either.”
Who was Sreenivasaiah?
An alumnus of IIT Madras, Sreenivasaiah had done his schooling in Bengaluru and was one of the inventors holding a patent for a "microchannel cooling system for hyperloop and a method thereof."
He wrote on his LinkedIn profile: "I'm a master's student in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering department at UC Berkeley, with an undergraduate degree from IIT Madras. I'm passionate about deep-tech innovations in soft and active materials, semiconductors, and advanced materials." He also worked as a young research fellow at Unilever in India from September 2023 to June 2024.
His parents in Karnataka refused to accept that their son is no more. “We will only accept that he is dead if she (Saketh’s mother, Anupama) sees his dead body, Srinivasaiah Thammannagowda, Saketh’s father, told Aathi Krishna, the local legislator, who visited them. “Till then, we believe he is alive.” Krishna, who is also with the NRI Forum of Karnataka, told the media that the parents said their son was a strong-willed person.
The Karnataka government has asked the Indian Ministry of External Affairs to extend necessary assistance to his family.
The Consulate-General of India in San Francisco posted on X on Sunday: “We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones during this profoundly difficult time. The Consulate stands ready to provide all necessary assistance to the family, including coordination with local authorities and arrangements for the repatriation of mortal remains to India at the earliest. Our consular officers are in direct contact with the family and will support them with all the required formalities and services."
Important reminder
No suicide attempt should be dismissed or treated lightly. People of all ages and walks of life face mental health problems.
In the US, there is a helpline that can be reached by calling or texting 988 or through 988lifeline.org chat. Also call 1-800-985-5990 or text “TalkWithUs” to 66746 at the SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline.
In the UAE, those facing mental health issues can call 800-HOPE (8004673) or send a message to 8004673 on Whatsapp. The Indian Workers Resources Centre (IWRC) also runs a support line and can be reached at 800 46342.
