Karnataka requests MEA assistance after 22-year-old student goes missing in California
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Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has requested the Ministry of External Affairs to extend all necessary assistance, coordinate with local law enforcement, and provide support to the family of a 22-year-old Indian postgraduate student who has gone missing in California, the US.
Saketh Sreenivasaiah, a student at the University of California, Berkeley, hailing from Karnataka, has been reported missing in Berkeley since the morning of February 12, officials said.
In a letter to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Karnataka Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh said Saketh is enrolled in the Master of Science programme at the University of California, Berkeley.
According to information received from his family and housemates, his whereabouts remain unknown despite a formal complaint being lodged with the Berkeley Police Department, the February 13 letter stated.
Given the critical nature of the situation and the mounting anxiety of his family in Karnataka, she requested the ministry’s intervention and support.
"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," Rajneesh said.
When contacted, Saketh’s father, Sreenivasaiah, said he had submitted a memorandum to the state government requesting steps to help locate his missing son.
He said he last spoke to Saketh on February 9 and later learned from his roommates that he had been missing since the morning of February 12.
The police are actively investigating the case; however, his whereabouts remain unknown.
"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 PTI.
When asked whether he would travel to the US, Sreenivasaiah said he was considering it.
In a letter to Rajneesh seeking the state government’s cooperation and assistance, Saketh’s parents stated that his housemates had searched all known places and, after confirming he was untraceable, lodged a formal complaint with the Berkeley Police Department.
Meanwhile, Yashovardhan Singh Thakur, Assistant Section Officer (Community Affairs) at the Consulate General of India in San Francisco, confirmed that the mission is coordinating with the Berkeley Police Department to provide updates and assistance in the search.
In an official communication dated February 14, Thakur said he had spoken to Saketh’s father, Sreenivasaiah, and his brother, Sudhamshu, and had taken updates from his roommate, Baneet Singh, regarding the search.
"We are in touch with Saketh’s family and his roommate. We have also contacted the Berkeley Police Department to get updates regarding the case and are providing all possible assistance from the mission in the search for Saketh," he said.
Thakur further stated that the police have so far recovered his laptop, bag, and passport near the Anza Lake area and are searching for Saketh. He added that he would promptly update the parties concerned as soon as there is any development.
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'Grew up in a family where women were bosses': Rahul tells students
New Delhi (PTI): "I grew up in a family where the women were the bosses," Congress leader Rahul Gandhi told students during an interaction in Kerala recently, while asserting that women are generally more intelligent than men.
On International Women's Day, Gandhi posted a video of his interaction with the students on his YouTube channel on Sunday and said that a few days ago, he met some young women students in Kerala during a lunch interaction and had a very interesting conversation with them.
"I was deeply impressed by each student's dreams, curiosity, and confidence. Such conversations remind us that when women recognise their potential and move forward with an open mind, they can bring about extraordinary change," the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said.
"Every woman is unique. Their sensitivity, understanding, and emotional intelligence provide balance and direction to society. Women also wield power in their own unique ways - with patience, long-term vision, and empathy," Gandhi asserted in his post in Hindi, accompanying the video.
"Therefore, they should have every right to move forward according to their identity, personality, and aspirations, rather than being bound by society's restrictive norms," he said.
"Heartiest greetings to all women on International Women's Day. May your strength, courage, and dreams continue to propel society toward a positive future," Gandhi said.
Posting the video on X, Gandhi said interacting with some young students in Kerala was incredibly inspiring.
"Their confidence and belief in their dreams demonstrate that women are the ultimate force for change," he said.
In the video, Gandhi is seen having a free-wheeling chat with the women students.
"I grew up in a family where the women were the bosses. So the boss of my family was my grandmother and I have always in my family, like on this table, been outnumbered by women," Gandhi tells the students.
"Women are generally more intelligent than men for the most part. Men are in a hurry and men get blinded by silly things.Women think longer term, they don't apply direct power they apply indirect power, it is more effective," he says.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge shared on X a quote by BR Ambedkar on gender equality - "You are not born to suffer. You are born to rise"
"Women are not merely participants in development. They are its driving force. Through their wisdom, resilience, compassion, and determination, women strengthen communities, and build stronger nations," Kharge said on X.
"On International Women's Day 2026, we celebrate the courage, leadership, and countless contributions of women everywhere. True progress will come when equality is not an aspiration, but a lived reality for every woman," the Congress chief said.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also greeted women on International Women's Day.
"On this Women's Day, may every woman realise her strength, her rights and her power to shape the future. You matter. Your voice matters. Your dreams matter," she said on X.
केरल में कुछ युवा छात्राओं के साथ हुई बातचीत बेहद प्रेरणादायक रही।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 8, 2026
उनका आत्मविश्वास और सपनों पर विश्वास बताता है - महिलाएँ बदलाव की सबसे बड़ी शक्ति हैं।
सभी को #InternationalWomensDay की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएँ। pic.twitter.com/OV2fvth1rB
