An 18-year-old boy from Telangana's Hyderabad, who had been missing in Finland for more than two months, was found dead on Saturday, following which his family has demanded a comprehensive probe into what they term ‘suspicious death,’ officials reported on Sunday.

The student, identified as Manideep Reddy, was pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Software and Systems Engineering at the Lappeenratna-Lahti University of Technology (LUT University), Lahti campus. He had been spotted publicly last on May 5, 2026, at a shopping mall in Helsinki before he vanished without a trace.

Manideep Reddy, who was found dead after being untraceable for 2 months

According to his family’s lawyer, Reddy’s body was found from the sea on Saturday, halting the extensive search which had attracted attention both in India and Finland. However, the grim discovery has left behind scores of unanswered questions and his kin have insisted that the circumstances surrounding his death warrant a comprehensive probe.

Spoke to dad last on May 5

Manideep’s father, G Muthyam Reddy, said his son contacted the family last on May 5, 2026, when he asked for some money.

According to Muthyam, Manideep’s mother, Mamata, immediately made the payment online. Post this, the family was unable to establish any contact with him despite numerous attempts through phone calls and other means of communication.

As days passed without any information regarding his whereabouts, the family approached the Telangana High Court (HC), seeking intervention. The court subsequently called upon the Union Government and the Telangana government to take steps to trace the student’s whereabouts.

Manideep (Left), last seen in a mall in Finland, and his father Muthyam (Right)

Cops lose track of his movements

A grieving Muthyam added that Finnish Police informed him that Manideep had travelled nearly 100 kilometres away from his rented accommodation, which he shared with a friend, before the cops lost track of his movements.

Despite enquiries involving his roommates, friends and university authorities, no cogent response was received about where he had headed to or what had happened to him during the period he remained missing.

Kin suspect foul play

Following his body’s discovery, the family’s lawyer, KLB Kumar, said the circumstances surrounding his death appeared suspicious and deserved an independent, as well as a thorough investigation.

He said the family believes there are many questions which are yet to be answered, particularly regarding how he disappeared and the events leading up to his death. The family has pleaded with the Finnish authorities to probe the case comprehensively and ascertain the exact circumstances under which he died.

Kumar also called for Manideep’s parents to be allowed to travel to Finland, so that they can identify and see their son’s body. Furthermore, he alleged that Finnish authorities had not investigated the disappearance adequately and claimed that communication with the family ceased completely after May 29 despite repeated emails, telephone calls and requests for updates.