Missing in the US: Indian Woman Simran Goes for Arranged Marriage — Can’t Speak English, No Phone Network
A 24-year-old Indian woman named Simran has mysteriously gone missing soon after she landed in the United States for what was supposed to be an arranged marriage, according to New Jersey police.
Simran arrived in the US on June 20, police told the New York Post. CCTV footage shows her standing outside, checking her phone and seemingly waiting for someone. Investigators noted that she did not appear anxious or upset in the video.
Simran’s phone only works when connected to Wi-Fi, making it hard to trace her movements. Efforts to contact her family in India have so far been unsuccessful. Police say it is unclear whether Simran genuinely intended to marry, or if she might have used the opportunity to travel to America instead.
Simran is described as about 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing around 150 pounds. She has a small scar on the left side of her forehead. At the time she disappeared, she was wearing grey sweatpants, a white T-shirt, black flip-flops, and small diamond-studded earrings. Simran doesn’t speak English and reportedly has no relatives in the US.
This case follows another recent disappearance of an Indian student abroad. In March, 20-year-old Sudiksha Konanki, who was studying at the University of Pittsburgh, went missing while on vacation at a beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Her parents later said they believed she drowned during spring break.
In Konanki’s case, Joshua Riibe, a 22-year-old student from Minnesota and the last known person to have seen her, was questioned by authorities. After a trial, a judge ruled there was no evidence to restrict his movement, and he was treated as a witness.
Police in New Jersey continue to search for Simran and have asked anyone with information to come forward.
