Indian woman disappears without a trace after US arrival, leaving authorities puzzled

A 24-year-old Indian woman mysteriously disappeared, just nine days after she arrived in the United States last week.

According to the New Jersey authorities, Simran had arrived in the US on June 20, and was reported to be missing earlier this week, as per a New York Post report, citing a report from the Lindenwold Police.

Surveillance footage from outside a terminal in Lindenwold reportedly shows her checking her phone, which only works via Wi-Fi. She seemed calm, and there was no indication of trouble, as she seemed to be waiting for someone.

Although investigators were told she had come to America for an arranged marriage, it was quite possible that she had no intention to marry in the first place, and had merely wanted a free trip to the US, NJ police had said.

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While not much is currently known about Simran, as the police was not able to track down her relatives in India, she has been described as being five feet and four inches tall, and weighing approximately 68kg. She was last seen wearing grey sweatpants, a white T-shirt, black flip-flops, and what looked like small, diamond-studded earrings.

Police authorities have also emphasised that Simran does not speak English and has no relatives in the US. The fact that her mobile phone only works on Wi-Fi has added to the difficulty of tracking her.

Simran's disappearance comes just months after an Indian student (with a permanent residency in the US) named Sudiksha Konanki went missing in the Dominican Republic during a beach visit at the Riu Republica Resort in Punta Cana, in the early hours of March 6 this year, as per a Hindustan Times report.

Joshua Riibe, who was last seen with her on CCTV at 4:15 AM reported that she had been swept away while swimming. Intensive searches yielded nothing, leading her parents to request a death declaration.

World