Body IDed as UCI student

A body discovered by two hikers on the UC Irvine campus last week has been identified as that of a missing 23-year-old graduate student from India, police announced Saturday.

Campus officials believe Mahesh Mahadevan, a mechanical engineering student, committed suicide, UC Irvine Spokeswoman Laura Rico said on Saturday.

Mahadevan was found with a plastic bag over his head, Rico said.

Police believe he died of asphyxiation.

Hikers found the body in a remote area of the campus, about 75 yards from the campus observatory near California Avenue and Gabrielino Drive about 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

UC Irvine police had been searching for Mahadevan for days.

He was last seen leaving his home in campus housing around 5 a.m. April 10, the day before his 23rd birthday.

Mahadevan left his bank card at home, and his cell phone was shut off.

One of his friends called police to report him missing on his birthday, April 11.

Counseling is available to all students and staff at the university after the death, UC Irvine Chief of Police Paul Henisey announced in an e-mail to students on Saturday.