New York Police in search of missing Indian origin girl student

New York, Feb 1 (ANI): New York police are searching for an Indian origin American student, Erica Desai, who has been missing since January 20.

Desai, 19, is a student at St. John's University and was last seen when a cousin dropped her off close to her dorm on Union Turnpike after she returned from a trip to North Carolina. She hasn't been seen since, and has had her cellphone turned off.

But her bankcard was used the next day at a Midtown ATM, police said. Surveillance footage captured an unidentified black man and Indian woman at the machine, The New York Post reported.

"We don't know who they are, and the woman definitely is not Erica," said Desai's sister Seena, 24, who flew with her mom to the Queens campus on Saturday to join the search.

"Maybe they are connected with the school, but we don't know them. We are obviously very worried. This is not like my sister. I know of nothing she had to be worried about."

Police said that, despite knowing her cousin was meeting her at the airport, Desai had also arranged a pick-up with a cab firm. They didn't know where she'd asked to be taken.

Police sources said Desai had written about plans to run away on her MySpace page shortly before her disappearance.

Desai had been suspended by the school for using a roommate's credit card and never informed her family of her problems and simply told them that she was returning to school on January 20 and flew back to Queens from her North Carolina home.

The friend didn't pursue criminal charges, but the school took action, the source said. Desai was also in academic trouble, police sources said.

Seena said her sister, a freshman studying to be a physician's assistant, had not told relatives about her troubles and school officials refused to confirm those details.

Her disappearance is not yet being treated as a criminal case; The Post quoted the Police, as saying. (ANI)