Vigil held for missing Indian teen Tanvi Marupally
Search continues for Marupally, who ran away on Jan 17 fearing deportation and techie father’s layoff
A vigil was held on Saturday as search continues for Indian teen Tanvi Marupally, who ran away from her Conway, Arkansas home on Jan 17 fearing deportation if her techie father lost his job.
Hearts were heavy yet hopeful at Saturday’s prayer vigil for the 14-year-old girl, KATV reported. Her family believes at this point she has not returned because, grimly, she may be unable to.
Read: 200 hold vigil for boy slain by Indian American father (January 11, 2023)
Dozens attended the vigil, which centered around a prayer for Tanvi, her family, and those searching for the girl.
At the vigil, more volunteers were requested in the search for Tanvi. “We are trying to canvas all throughout Conway,” Jenny Wallace, who is organizing searches for Tanvi, was quoted as saying.
“We are trying to go through every neighborhood and ask the people to look at their Ring doorbell cameras. It is very important for every bit of footage to be watched because we usually have 30 days before the cameras re-record over them or expire. We are coming up on that timeline,” Wallace said.
Tanvi’s family was in attendance at the vigil, but remained silent. The family reportedly held the hope that Tanvi would make an appearance on Saturday, as she was scheduled to take her ACT. According to her parents, Pavan Roy Marupally and Sridevi Eadara, the girl excelled academically.
Tanvi’s parents, according to KATV, believe that their daughter ran away because of the family’s tenuous immigration status and the possibility they might be deported.
Read: Candlelight vigil remembers Indian American teens Arjit and Akshata Reddy (December 29, 2021)
The girl’s parents say even though they’ve legally lived and worked in the US for many years, hoping and trying to acquire citizenship, the country’s immigration system has left them out in the cold.
Tanvi’s father, Pavan, works in the tech industry, which has seen a slew of layoffs in recent months. Recent company cuts laid off 10 percent of employees at his company, including a close family friend.
Losing his job would cost Pavan his work visa, which allows the whole family to stay in the US If that should happen, the family would be given 10 days to leave the country, Pavan said.
He knows, because it happened to his wife, Sridevi Eadara, when she lost her job. Sridevi had to return to India alone and reapply for a visa as a dependent of Pavan’s. It took a year before she could return to be with her family.
When asked by his daughter what they would do should he lose his work visa, Pavan told her not to panic. “I said…let you and your mom first go back to India, let me figure out what and how the system works out, get a proper job, and then call you back,” Pavan said. “[She said] what, go back to India? Why should I go back to India? I’ve been here.”
Her parents believe the prospect of being forced from her home in the US was too much for their daughter, KATV said.
Read: Vigil held Saturday for Indian teen Tanvi Marupally, missing from Conway home for 3 weeks (February 13, 2023)
She was last seen on security camera footage at Conway Junior High School the day of her disappearance, walking past the school bus she usually takes home. Tanvi’s parents are terrified for her safety.
“Please come back. Please, Tanvi, try to understand. Please come back,” Sridevi said. “She’s the motivation we both to come over here. If she’s not there, we don’t have purpose to come here, do all these things. Everyday we are walking on the edge, trying to keep her, providing a better life. And safe especially, particularly safe.”
If you have any information on Tanvi’s whereabouts, please contact the Conway Police Department at 501-450-6120.
