The FBI’s social media post of a reward of up to $10,000 for any information leading to the ‘recapture’ of Mayushi Bhagat has created confusion as the Indian student has been missing since 2019. And the reward amount is also not new but the same which was announced earlier by the agency. There has been no update on the case and the agency has posted the same old information about Bhagat that he was last seen leaving his apartment in New Jersey on the evening of April 29, 2019. “She was last seen wearing colored pajama pants and a black T-shirt. Bhagat’s family reported her missing on May 1, 2019. She was studying at 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 at the time when Mayushi went missing, her father Vikas Bhagat had filed a missing report on May 3, 2019, after she did not return home. Vikas told the police that his last WhatsApp chat with Mayushi was around 3 am on May 1, where she had said that she was fine, but she would not return home till May 3. The language of the message raised suspicion as Vikas told the police that the message was written in broken English, but Mayushi was fluent in English. He suspected that the message had been sent by someone who had his cellphone at that time. The FBI post caused confusion as many social media users thought the agency had started the investigation in 2026. The reality is that the FBI’s social media handles had posted the same update several times in the last 7 years. One wrote, “She was missing in 2019 and was posting just 1 hour ago..?? Why?? Your department is not competent and not working fully.” “It’s been seven years and she’s still missing…I hope she’s alive physically and mentally and is found soon!!!” Another wrote. “How did America become a superpower when it couldn’t find anyone missing since 2019?”. A third user wrote. Another commented, “A superpower country can’t protect its citizens and tourists. This country is so dirty….” “Did you guys find out that she was missing for the last seven years?” Another wrote.
