Disappearance foul play, say relatives

Srikanth Rayadurgam's family are desperate for information on his whereabouts. Photo / Supplied

The brother-in-law of missing student Srikanth Rayadurgam believes his disappearance is the result of foul play.

The 23-year-old was reported missing on October 1 after he failed to return to his sister's home in Mt Albert.

Mr Rayadurgam came to New Zealand in February to start a diploma in culinary arts at Auckland University of Technology.

He was living with his older sister and her family, and working part-time as a chef in an Indian restaurant.

His brother-in-law, Nagesh Kakanoor, said he and his wife started panicking when Mr Rayadurgam did not come home when expected and did not answer his phone.

They discovered he had not been called in to work that evening and did not attend his afternoon lecture.

On Friday October 3 Mr Kakanoor checked Mr Rayadurgam's bank and found that $250 had been withdrawn from the account at 2.17pm on October 1.

Security camera images confirmed it was Mr Rayadurgam who withdrew the money.

Also on Friday, the missing man's empty wallet was found by a pedestrian in Curran St by the Westhaven Marina.

Mr Kakanoor and friends went to search the area and found Mr Rayadurgam's left shoe and cellphone on the ground and his empty backpack floating in the water.

These were given to police who made aerial and boat searches in the area.

On Thursday a police dive team searched part of the Waitemata Harbour.

Detective Senior Sergeant Joe Aumua said they spent almost eight hours looking during high and low tides.

Mr Kakanoor said Mr Rayadurgam was bubbly and friendly and appeared to have settled well into life in New Zealand.

"Everyone I have spoken to says they never had any problems with him and if he was around they had more fun."

Mr Rayadurgam was mentally strong and his disappearance was out of character.

"He would not have put himself into the water. Based on the clues we have got it's definitely foul play."