Kamal Ghorui
FILE – The FBI seal is pictured in Omaha, Neb., Aug. 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)
The social media post of the FBI on a reward of up to $10,000 for any information leading to the ‘recovery’ of Mayushi Bhagat sparked confusion as the Indian student has been missing since 2019. And the reward amount is also not new but the same that the agency announced earlier. There is no update on the case and the agency posted the same old information about Bhagat that she was last seen in the evening hours of April 29, 2019, leaving her apartment in New Jersey. “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 the 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 from the time when Mayushi went missing, her father, Vikas Bhagat, reported the missing case after she did not return home on May 3, 2019. Vikas told the cops that he had his last WhatsApp chat with Mayushi on May 1 around 3 am where she said she was fine but she won’t be returning home until May 3. The language of the message raised suspicion as Vikas told the cops that the message was written in broken English but Mayushi was fluent in English. He suspected that the message was sent by someone who had her cellphone at that time. The FBI post led to confusion as many social media users thought that the agency started the investigation in 2026. The reality is that the social media handle of the FBI posted the same update several times in the last 7 years. “She was missing in 2019 and just posting 1 hours ago..?? Why?? Your department not capable and not fully functioning,” one wrote. “It’s been 7 years and she is still missing….i hope she’s alive both physically and mentally and will be found soon!!!” another wrote. “How come America is a superpower when it cannot find someone who is missing since 2019?” a third user wrote. “A superpower country, cant protect its citizens and tourists. How dirty this country is….” another commented. “Did you guys just find out that she was missing for the last seven years?” another wrote.
