Indian students missing in US since 2019: FBI’s social media post about Mayushi Bhagat sparks confusion

FILE – FBI seal taken on August 10, 2022 in Omaha, Nebraska. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)

The FBI posted on social media that it was offering a reward of up to $10,000 for any information leading to the “recovery” of Mayushi Bhagat, sparking confusion because the Indian student has been missing since 2019. And the award amounts are not new either, but are the same as those previously announced by the agency. There are no updates on the case, and the agency has released old information about Bhagat, who was last seen on the night of April 29, 2019, as she left her New Jersey apartment. “She was last seen wearing colorful pajama pants and a black T-shirt. Bhagat was reported missing by her family on May 1, 2019. She was attending New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) in New York City and was in the United States on an F1 student visa,” the FBI said. According to reports at the time of Mayushi’s disappearance, her father Vikas Bhagat reported her missing on May 3, 2019, after she did not return home. Vikas told police that his last WhatsApp chat with Mayushi was around 3 am on May 1 and she said she was fine but would not return home until May 3. The language of the message aroused suspicion as Vikas told police that the message was written in broken English but Mayushi was fluent in English. He suspected the message was from the person who had her phone at the time. The FBI’s post caused confusion as many social media users believed the agency began the investigation in 2026. The fact is that the FBI’s social media accounts have posted the same updates multiple times over the past seven years. “She went missing in 2019 and was only posted 1 hour ago…why? Your department is incompetent and not functioning adequately,” one wrote. “It’s been 7 years and she’s still missing… I hope she’s still alive physically and mentally and will be found soon!!!” wrote another. “How can the United States be a superpower but not find people who have been missing since 2019?” a third user wrote. “A superpower that cannot protect its citizens and tourists. What a filthy country this country is…” commented another. “Did you just realize she’s been missing for seven years?” another wrote.