New Delhi: An Indian Sikh woman, part of a jatha – a religious group – has gone missing while on a trip to Pakistan. This has raised serious concerns for authorities on both sides of the border.
Sarabjit Kaur (52), a resident of Kapurthala in Punjab, was part of a delegation of nearly 2,000 Sikh pilgrims who crossed the Wagah-Attari border on November 4 to mark the 555th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.
The group returned to India on November 13 after visiting Gurudwaras across Pakistan. Kaur did not return though. Her name was missing from both Pakistan’s exit records and India’s re-entry logs, prompting immediate concern.
A nikahnama, or marriage certificate, has since emerged. Written in Urdu, it claims that Kaur converted to Islam, adopted the name Noor, and married Nasir Hussain from Sheikhupura, near Lahore. The authenticity of this document has not been verified though, keeping authorities on the tenterhooks.
Intelligence agencies of both India and Pakistan are trying to trace her whereabouts. Officials have confirmed that the Indian mission in Pakistan is coordinating closely with local authorities to verify the claims and ascertain her status.
Kaur’s passport, issued in Muktsar district, had raised no prior alerts, but Indian immigration authorities quickly informed Punjab Police when she failed to return, News18 has reported. A preliminary report has already been shared with central agencies for further investigation.
Kaur is a divorced mother of two and had joined the jatha despite earlier security warnings. Her case has intensified concerns within India’s security establishment, which suspects a recurring pattern of “pilgrim recruitment” allegedly linked to Pakistan’s intelligence network. According to intelligence sources, such efforts often target vulnerable visitors during shrine tours, employing methods including emotional grooming, religious pressure, and coerced marriage to influence and manipulate individuals.
Authorities are closely examining the nikahnama to determine its legitimacy and are coordinating diplomatic channels to resolve the matter.
