Sikh pilgrim vanishes in Pakistan, surfaces as ‘Noor Hussain’; Passport gaps, fraud cases fuel mystery

A Sikh woman from Punjab, who travelled to Pakistan earlier this month as part of a pilgrims’ jatha for Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s Prakash Gurpurab, has become the centre of a complex and fast-evolving controversy after reportedly going missing and allegedly converting to Islam before marrying a local man.

Sarabjit Kaur, 52, a resident of Kapurthala, was among nearly 1,992 Sikh pilgrims who crossed the Wagah-Attari border on November 4 under the bilateral shrine-visitation agreement between India and Pakistan. The 10-day pilgrimage included visits to various gurdwaras in Nankana Sahib and other holy sites associated with Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

However, when the jatha returned to India on November 13, immigration officials and fellow pilgrims noted that Kaur was not part of the returning group. Her disappearance prompted inquiries from the Punjab Police, who began piecing together her movements in Pakistan.

In the days following her disappearance, reports from Pakistan began circulating about a woman named “Noor Hussain,” identified by Pakistani media as Sarabjit Kaur.

A viral Urdu nikahnama, purportedly issued by a mosque in Sheikhupura—located around 56 km from Lahore—claims that she converted to Islam and married a local man, Nasir Hussain, with her alleged consent.

The document has not yet been independently verified by The Tribune or by Indian authorities, and questions remain about its authenticity.

Kaur had been residing in Amanipur before leaving for Pakistan, living in the home of her husband, Karnail Singh, who has been settled in England for nearly three decades. Police confirmed that she is divorced from a previous marriage and has two adult sons.

According to investigators, she also has three past criminal cases registered against her—two in Kapurthala City and one in Kot Fatta, Bathinda—primarily linked to cheating and fraud.

Police officials said that these cases had reached their concluding stages, but her family’s legal troubles extend further.

Kapurthala police revealed that Kaur’s sons, Lovejot Singh and Navjot Singh, are currently facing about 10 criminal cases across Kapurthala, Sultanpur Lodhi and Kabirpur.

Several of these cases are ongoing, and both sons are believed to be out on bail. Their father has reportedly been living abroad for over 15 years and is seldom in contact with local authorities.

Adding to the mystery, discrepancies have surfaced in Kaur’s travel documents. Her passport reportedly lists an address in Malout, Muktsar, rather than Amanipur, and records her father’s name instead of her husband’s.

Pakistani officials also noted that she did not provide her citizenship details or passport number on her immigration form upon entry, raising questions about oversight and monitoring of pilgrims during the visit.

SHO Nirmal Singh of Talwandi Chaudhrian police station stated that Kaur “went to pay obeisance at Nankana Sahib but did not return.”

He added that her background and travel details are under review as part of a wider investigation. Meanwhile, residents of Amanipur have chosen to remain tight-lipped about the family.

With multiple agencies now tracking leads across Punjab and Pakistan, the case continues to unravel with new layers, leaving authorities on both sides of the border working to determine whether Kaur’s disappearance was voluntary, coerced, or linked to her ongoing legal troubles in India.