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Search concludes for missing Indian-origin student in Pittsburgh
The South Fayette Township police announced the conclusion without releasing any details.
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Anushka Pathak - Wed, 18, Mar 2026
- 14:19 EDT
- 141
Gautham Rajanikanth / Courtesy: Instagram/@southfayettepa
The South Fayette Township Police Department in Pittsburgh concluded a missing-person search for a 17-year-old Indian-origin student who went missing on March 15.
The teenager, an 11th-grader identified as Gautham Rajanikanth, was last seen wearing a T-shirt and light-colored pants and carrying a gray backpack. Authorities had issued a public alert shortly after he was reported missing, asking residents to contact 911 with any information.
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The South Fayette Township Police Department led the search effort throughout March 15 and into March 16. By late March 16, police announced the operation had concluded. In a brief public statement, officials thanked the community for their assistance but released no further details at that time regarding the circumstances or location where he was found.
Local media reports subsequently issued statements that Gautham had passed away. Certain NRI-focused platforms described speaking directly with the teenager’s mother, who was grieving and not yet in a position to share the cause of the tragedy.
A separate obituary expressed deep sorrow over the news, stating, “With deep sadness, I want to inform that Gautham, a young 11th-grade student from the Pittsburgh (South Fayette) area who had been missing since Sunday, has sadly passed away.”
The loss has reportedly left family, friends, classmates, and neighbors devastated. Community members described the passing as “such an incredible loss,” with an outpouring of prayers and support appearing across social platforms.
As of March 18, no official statement of his death has been publicly released by authorities, and the investigation remains ongoing with limited additional information provided to the public.
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