HI INDIA EXCLUSIVE! Friends, Family to Mark Missing Teen Tanvi Marupally’s Birthday by Planting a Tree

BY ZOFEEN MAQSOOD

Community members and family of Tanvi Marupally would gather on Sunday March 26 to create awareness about Tanvi’s missing status. Tanvi is remembered as a loving, kind and sweet girl in the neighborhood

Friday, March 24, 2023 will be missing Arkansas teen Tanvi Marupally’s 15th birthday. The week would also mark about 65 days or over two months since the Indian-origin girl disappeared. As days go by, parents Pavan Roy Marupally and Sridevi Eadara are getting anxious and trying everything they can to help bring Tanvi back. Meanwhile the community in Conway, Arkansas, where the teen lived with her family has come out in full support, campaigning and organizing search parties to bring Tanvi back home. Jenny Wallace, a community member and now a family friend to the Marupallys, has been actively organizing search parties and raising awareness to ensure Tanvi’s safe return back home. Talking to Hi India from Arkansas, Jenny remembers Tanvi as the “kindest, smartest girl.” She says, “We are all heartbroken. The parents are walking the streets and putting signs up every day.”

Wallace got involved with the family to look for their daughter after she learnt about her disappearance. Wallace told Hi India, “My daughter went to school with Tanvi just for a couple of months and Tanvi was super sweet to her. My daughter was a new student and Tanvi welcomed her. So, my daughter had little knowledge of Tanvi when we found out that Tanvi was missing.”

She adds, “But mostly I just have got involved because I wanted to do anything I could to be able to help this family.”

Wallace along with the family and community is also coming ahead this weekend to mark a very special occasion. She says, “Since March 24 would be Tanvi’s 15th birthday. This Sunday, we are going to have a ceremony at our public library and we are going to plant a tree for Tanvi’s birthday.”

Wallace, a former teacher by profession who now homeschools, has been an active participant in leading the community to help raise awareness about Tanvi’s missing status. She has been raising money and has purchased billboards and banners to raise publicity about Tanvi. According to locals, one of the LED signs put up in Greenbrier area with the help of Wallace’s efforts is very noticeable. Talking about this, Wallace says, “In the beginning, I got involved because there was a Facebook group for searching for Tanvi. When I got there, I saw her parents would get on there every day to update what they plan to do and one of them was to get billboards, get banners and I felt, I can probably help with that. So, I just started asking some friends if they would be willing to donate and people from the community came forward and we were able to get some banners made, billboards put up. We also conducted several search parties over weekends.”

Tanvi was last seen walking past her junior high school bus stop after her school on January 17 this year. Since then, there has been no update or any news on Tanvi. Authorities have been on alert and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has also announced launching a campaign to find the teen. Tanvi’s face is being flashed on gas pump screens throughout Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Missouri. Both the Conway Police Department (501-450-6120) and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (1-800-843-5678) are also taking calls and texts on any information about Tanvi.