Missing Hyderabad student found dead in Helsinki sea; family demands detailed probe

An 18-year-old student from Hyderabad who had been missing in Finland for more than two months has been found dead, bringing a tragic end to an extensive search.

According to a News18 report, his body was recovered from the sea in Helsinki and identified through his personal belongings.

The student, Manideep Reddy, was pursuing a bachelor's degree in Software and Systems Engineering at Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT University). He was last seen on May 5 after travelling by train from Lahti to Helsinki.

While Finnish authorities have said no criminal act is suspected, his family has questioned the circumstances surrounding his death and demanded a detailed investigation.

Manideep's family has claimed that several unanswered questions remain, including reported activity on his university account after he disappeared and what they describe as inadequate communication from Finnish authorities during the investigation.

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Body recovered during search operation

According to the report, Manideep boarded a train from Lahti to Helsinki at around 5 PM local time on May 5. CCTV footage showed him arriving at Helsinki Central Railway Station at about 5:14 PM before visiting a burger outlet in the city centre, where he bought food and spent some time.

Police said he was later seen at a K-Market supermarket in the Kruunuvuorenranta area at around 8 PM. After that, there was no confirmed sighting of the student.

According to the report, Finnish police said his body was recovered from the sea during search operations in Kruunuvuorenranta on July 9. Authorities said no evidence of a criminal offence had been found so far, although the investigation into the cause of death is still underway.

Family alleges suspicious circumstances

Manideep's family has rejected suggestions that the death was natural and has called for a comprehensive investigation.

According to the report, family lawyer KLB Kumar alleged that Finnish authorities were attempting to close the case without fully examining the circumstances surrounding the student's disappearance and death.

According to Kumar, the family believes the death is suspicious and wants investigators to establish what happened after Manideep went missing.

Questions over account activity and visa denial

According to the report, in a petition filed before the Telangana High Court last month, the family's lawyer said Finnish investigators had informed them that Manideep's university account showed successful login activity on May 9 and May 10, several days after he disappeared.

The family also said Manideep had spoken to his mother shortly before he disappeared and had asked her to transfer ₹6,000 to his bank account. Although the money was transferred, bank records reportedly showed that it was never used.

Kumar further claimed that Manideep's parents had applied for visas to travel to Finland and assist in the search for their son, but their applications were rejected. According to him, the authorities cited insufficient proof of financial means to support their stay.