Bhubaneswar: An Odia girl is in real distress in the US, and has appealed to Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to bring her back home.
Adopted by an American couple in 2018, the girl posted a video in which she alleged that she has been subjected to abuse, in the form of physical and mental torture, by her foster mother.
“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 video, breaking down into tears.
The girl, identified as Puja alias Sejal, claimed that she is being forced to do too many household chores, as she is forced to endure constant fear and harassment.
Adding to her woes, Puja’s visa expired in 2023.
She further alleged that her foster mother has been forcing her to convert to Christianity against her wish, and even threatened to kill her.
“They have tried to kill her twice,” claimed Puja’s friend Amar Das, who helped amplify her plea online.
Born in 2006, Puja got separated from her parents while travelling in train outside the state. She was rescued by childline and brought to Odisha.
She was initially put up at Nilagiri in Balasore, and then at a Kanya Ashram at Naharkanta in Bhubaneswar from where she was adopted by the American couple seven years ago.
She came in contact with Amar, with whom she had studied in school, in 2023 through social media.
On being told about her plight, Amar spread the video through various social media platforms to let people know about Puja.