‘Suspicious Death’: Family Seeks Probe After Indian Student Missing For 2 Months Found Dead In Finland

Last Updated:July 12, 2026, 11:56 IST

Manideep Reddy, who was studying for a bachelor’s degree in software and systems engineering at Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology, was last seen on May 5.

An 18-year-old student from Hyderabad, Telangana, who went missing in Finland in May, has been found dead in Helsinki, police said.

Manideep Reddy, who was studying for a bachelor’s degree in software and systems engineering at Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology, was last seen at a supermarket in Helsinki on May 5.

Police said Reddy had travelled from Lahti to Helsinki by train at around 5 pm (local time). He was last spotted at a K-Market in Kruunuvuorenranta at around 8 pm.

“The body found in the sea during the search conducted by the authorities in Kruunuvuorenranta, on Thursday, 9 July 2026, was identified as the Indian student who went missing at the beginning of May," the Finnish Police said in a statement.

The police said Reddy’s identity was confirmed with the help of personal belongings found with the body, including a wallet containing his Finnish identity card, a bank card belonging to his mother, and Indian currency.

The National Bureau of Investigation is probing the cause of death, while “no crime" is suspected in the case, the statement said.

Family Claims ‘Suspicious’ Death

However, Reddy’s family has questioned the circumstances surrounding his death and termed it “suspicious". The family’s lawyer, KLB Kumar, on Saturday alleged that the Finnish government was intentionally suppressing “many facts/things" in covering up the whole issue as a natural death.

“We have many doubts. After two months, the body has recovered. We strongly feel that it is a suspicious death and not a natural death," Kumar was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

“We demand that the death be investigated properly. They (Finnish authorities) are supposed to investigate the circumstances under which the boy disappeared and how the death occurred," he added.

Kumar alleged that after the Finnish police registered the case, the family was initially provided with brief updates about the investigation. However, after May 29, they “stopped" communication.

In a petition filed before the Telangana High Court last month, Kumar said the Finnish police investigation showed that Reddy travelled alone from Lahti to Helsinki by train on May 5. Surveillance footage reportedly captured him arriving at Helsinki Central Railway Station at around 5.14 pm.

The CCTV footage also showed Reddy visiting a burger outlet in central Helsinki, where he bought food and stayed for some time before leaving.

Logged In After He Went Missing

According to Kumar’s petition, authorities informed the family that a successful login to Reddy’s university account was recorded on May 9, followed by another access on May 10.

The investigation also found that his university account showed login activity after his disappearance, Kumar said. Finnish authorities had indicated that inquiries were being conducted into the devices and IP addresses used for the access.

The family said Reddy spoke to his mother shortly before he went missing. During the conversation, he reportedly told her that he was outside and asked her to transfer Rs 6,000 to his account.

Although the money was credited, bank records reportedly showed that it was not used afterwards.

Kumar had also said last month that Reddy’s parents wanted to travel to Finland to search for him, but their visa applications were rejected by Finnish authorities. He said the rejection was based on reasons including the failure to submit proof of sufficient means of subsistence for the duration of their stay.

News world ‘Suspicious Death’: Family Seeks Probe After Indian Student Missing For 2 Months Found Dead In Finland

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