An Odia girl adopted by a US couple alleges abuse and seeks Odisha CM Mohan Majhi’s help to return home, highlighting adoption trauma abroad
OdishaPlus Bureau
An Odia girl is currently experiencing significant distress in the United States and has reached out to Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, requesting assistance to return home.
Adopted by an American couple in 2018, the girl shared a video in which she accused her foster mother of subjecting her to both physical and mental abuse.
“I sincerely appeal to the Odisha Chief Minister to facilitate my return home. I am enduring severe torment here. I wish to go back to Odisha and reunite with my biological parents,” she expressed in the video, breaking down in tears.
The girl, known as Puja alias Sejal, asserted that she is being compelled to perform excessive household tasks while living in a state of constant fear and harassment.
To make matters worse, Puja’s visa expired in 2023.
She also claimed that her foster mother has been coercing her to convert to Christianity against her will and has even issued threats to her life.
“They have attempted to kill her on two occasions,” stated Puja’s friend Amar Das, who has been instrumental in amplifying her plea online.
Born in 2006, Puja became separated from her parents while traveling by train outside the state. She was rescued by Childline and brought back to Odisha.
Initially, she was placed at Nilagiri in Balasore, and subsequently at a Kanya Ashram in Naharkanta, Bhubaneswar, from where she was adopted by the American couple seven years ago.
In 2023, she reconnected with Amar, a former schoolmate, through social media.
Upon learning of her situation, Amar disseminated the video across various social media platforms to raise awareness about Puja’s plight.
