The news of the arrest of two female Telugu students who came to pursue their Masters in the U.S. is spreading widely. We reported this incident on April 6th without revealing their names, as it could harm them personally.
However, today several Indian web publications have picked up the news and revealed their names, including their college details.
Here’s a brief overview of what happened:
On March 19, 2024, at approximately 5:15 p.m., Police Officers Chelsea Tamborra and Rose Kanan responded to ShopRite (a grocery store) in Hoboken, New Jersey, on reports of a shoplifter being held by security. Upon arrival, they learned that store security had observed two women, later identified as 20-year-old Sindhu and 22-year-old Harishtha (names changed for privacy), both from Jersey City, paying for only two items totaling $8.74 before attempting to leave with 27 items totaling $155.61. Both women were transported to Hoboken Police Headquarters, processed on shoplifting charges, and released with their summonses and court dates.
The police have released the entire 24-minute interrogation video, which they call the bodycam video.
In the video, these Telugu girls were trying to convince the cops that they did not steal, but the lady cop, who seemed to be rude and determined, arrested them.
The reason for the cop’s stubbornness may be because this is not the first time these two Telugu girls have done this; it appears they did the same thing at the same store before, which seemed to have annoyed her. Otherwise, she could have let them go with a warning or a fine.
Now imagine this video circulating everywhere and the trauma it will cause their parents back home. Is it all worth it to save $150?
On top of this, the arrest will stay on their U.S. records for their lifetime to haunt them. This will trouble them at every step, be it license renewals, visa issues, or security checks at certain jobs. These girls will regret this act for their lifetime.
One interesting thing is that during the interrogation, these students seemed brave and did their best to convince the cops without breaking down into tears. They were calm and composed even when the cop said they were getting arrested and would be moved to the police station.
We see some MS students sneaking into theaters to watch Telugu movies by buying a Hollywood movie ticket at a lower price. They need to understand that if caught, not every police officer will let them off with a warning. Some rude officers will not excuse them; they will arrest them, leaving a shameful mark on their lives.
It is up to these Telugu or Indian students who engage in these petty crimes for fun or due to lack of maturity to question themselves: is it really worth it? Is this why they came to the U.S., spending so much money, only to swim in shame?
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