The body of a missing 22-year-old university student was found yesterday morning floating in the Anacostia River, about one mile from the nightclub where his friends said they last saw him.

Arvin Sharma, a senior geography information systems major, had been missing since April 16 after a night of clubbing with four friends. Metropolitan Police upgraded his status to “critically missing” Sunday.

Family members have led the effort in finding Sharma, plastering posters around the campus and near Lime Night Club, where he was last seen. They also sent e-mails and photographs of Sharma to media throughout the Washington and Baltimore areas.

At about 7:45 a.m. yesterday, a passerby found Sharma’s body floating in the river near the 11th Street Bridge.

Family members said they suspect foul play, because Sharma wasn’t one to get into trouble. He was expected to graduate in May.

Ashish, Sharma’s older brother, said the family subpoenaed phone records to check for phone calls Sharma may have made or received near the time of his disappearance.

In the gated Greenbelt Lake Village Condominium where Sharma lived with his older brother, neighbors said they didn’t know of him before news reports that he was missing were released.

Neighbors said most of the people moved into the condominium complex in either October or November and kept to themselves.

Police said they are conducting an investigation and medical examiners said they should have an autopsy finished within the next few days.

Family members said they have received a great deal of support since Sharma’s disappearance. One family member flew in from Thailand to help the family cope.