‘He Stopped Caring’: Roommate Describes Last Days of Indian Student Found Dead in America

New Delhi: Saketh Srinivasaiah, a 22-year-old boy from Karnataka, who was pursuing his master's at UC Berkeley, was missing for six days and now his body has been found in Lake Anza. Family, friends, and the entire Indian student community are in shock. 

Where and when was Saket last seen?

Saket was last seen on February 9 near Lake Anza, which is in Tilden Regional Park, near the Berkeley Hills. After that no clue was found. Police started searching on a large scale—deploying drones, divers, and sonar. Six days later, on 14 or 15 February, his body was fished out of the lake. A bag, passport and laptop were also found nearby.

Who first broke the news of death?

His roommate Banit Singh posted on LinkedIn and told everyone. He wrote that his Berkeley roommate Saket had been found in Lake Anza – meaning the body had been found. This post went viral and a wave of regret ran on social media.

What did Banit say about Saket's mental health?

Banit said that Saket had changed a lot in the last two weeks. He is not the same as before. He started eating less food, mostly surviving on chips and cookies. Also reduced conversation with people. But no one felt that the matter was so serious. Now looking back, I feel that perhaps there were some hints, but I could not understand them.

What was the point of going to Lake Anza?

Baneet shared that on January 21, Saket had called him to visit Lake Anza. Banit refused, saying he was very lazy that day. Now that is the thing that hurts the most—he wishes that he had gone along, maybe something would have been different.

What happened in the last conversation?

One day Saket returned from class wearing a red robe. Banit jokingly asked, "Did you go to class wearing a robe?" Saket said, "Now I don't care about anything. I was feeling cold, so I wore it. I don't even care what people think. I don't care about anything." Banit thought it was a joke and laughed. But now I understood how much pain was hidden in those words.

What message did Banit give?

Banit considered this a big warning. He wrote to stay connected with friends and family, keep checking their mental state. I never thought that something like this could happen with someone with whom I used to eat, drink, hang out and laugh every day. Reading this post makes one feel how broken he is.

What did the Indian Embassy say?

The Indian Consulate in San Francisco confirmed that the local police have been informed about the discovery of the body. Will provide every help to the family – coordination with local authority, process of sending the body to India, everything.

What lesson can we learn from this?

This incident once again reminds us of how much pressure students studying abroad face – studies, career, loneliness, homesickness. Mental health should not be ignored. Small talk, friendship and closeness may save someone's life.