Santra Saju, a 22-year-old postgraduate student from Kerala, India, was found dead in a river in Scotland after being reported missing earlier this month. The incident has deeply saddened her family and community, while police investigations suggest no signs of criminal involvement.

Saju, who was pursuing a master’s degree in Psychology at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, had been missing since December 6, 2024. Her last known location was captured on CCTV at an Asda supermarket in the Almondvale area of Livingston town. Tragically, her body was discovered in the water near Newbridge on December 27.

The Scottish police released a statement confirming the discovery: “Around 11:55 am on Friday, December 27, 2024, police were made aware of a body found in the water near Newbridge. Formal identification has still to take place. However, the family of Santra Saju, 22, has been informed.”

Her family, based in Perumbavoor in Kerala’s Ernakulam district, stated that they were informed by the police that no signs of assault or suspicious activity were detected on CCTV footage. A relative shared, “We were informed about the recovery of the body from a river that flows through a park opposite the place where she lived. There are no signs of any criminal assault on the body. Police have examined CCTV footage and found nothing suspicious.”

Santra Saju was the only child of Saju and Ancy, who reside in Perumbavoor. She completed her schooling in the UAE before earning her undergraduate degree in Kochi, Kerala. She moved to Scotland last year to pursue her postgraduate education.

The family expressed satisfaction with the police’s handling of the case. “We have no complaints about the police investigation. They had a team that probed vigorously right from the day she went missing. They kept the family updated about the probe,” the relative added.