Odia Girl Adopted by US Couple Alleges Abuse, Appeals to Return Home
The girl, identified as Puja alias Sejal, was adopted by an American couple in 2018
Bhubaneswar: An Odia girl adopted by an American couple has issued a desperate appeal for rescue, alleging severe abuse and coercion in the United States and pleading with the Odisha government to bring her back home.
The girl, identified as Puja alias Sejal, was adopted by an American couple in 2018. In a distressing video circulating on social media, Puja tearfully alleged that she has been subjected to physical and mental torture by her foster mother. She claimed she is forced to perform excessive household chores and lives in constant fear of harassment.
Adding to her ordeal, Puja said her visa expired in 2023, leaving her stranded and without legal protection.
“I humbly request the Odisha Chief Minister to bring me back home. I am tortured a lot here. I want to return to Odisha and find my real parents,” she said in the emotional video, breaking down in tears.
Puja further alleged that her foster mother has been pressuring her to convert to Christianity against her will, and that she has even faced threats to her life.
“They have tried to kill her twice,” claimed Amar Das, a friend of Puja who helped bring her plea to public attention online.
According to reports, Puja went missing as a child while traveling on a train and was later rescued by Childline. She initially stayed at a girls’ shelter in Nilgiri, Balasore district, before being moved to a children’s home in Naharankanta, Bhubaneswar, where she continued her studies.
In 2018, she was adopted by the American couple and relocated to the United States. Years later, however, she now alleges serious mistreatment and religious coercion, urging the Odisha government and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to intervene immediately and facilitate her safe repatriation.
