Odia girl adopted by American couple alleges ill-treatment, pleads to return to Odisha

An Odia girl adopted by an American couple has made a desperate appeal for help, alleging severe abuse and ill-treatment in the United States and pleading to be brought back to Odisha.

The girl, identified as Puja alias Sejal, was adopted by an American couple in 2018. In a heart-wrenching video shared on social media, she tearfully claimed that she has been subjected to physical and mental torture by her foster mother. Puja alleged that she is being forced to do excessive household chores and live under constant fear and harassment.

Adding to her distress, she said that her visa expired in 2023, leaving her stranded and helpless.

“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,” Puja said in the video, breaking down in tears.

She further alleged that her foster mother is forcing her to convert to Christianity against her will and even threatened her life when she resisted.

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“They have tried to kill her twice,” claimed Amar Das, a friend of Puja who helped amplify her plea 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 before being moved to a children’s home in Naharankanta, Bhubaneswar, where she continued her education.

In 2018, she was adopted and taken to the United States, but years later, she now alleges serious mistreatment and religious coercion, appealing to the Odisha government and Chief Minister Mohan Majhi for immediate intervention to facilitate her safe return.