Bhubaneswar: A dramatic turn of events has unfolded in the case of Puja alias Sejal John, an Odia girl who returned to India from the US, citing alleged torture and forced conversion by her adoptive parents. The Balasore police have detained Amar, Puja’s boyfriend, after he allegedly tried to forcefully enter the Nari Shakti Sadan in Balasore, where Puja is currently staying.
According to reports, Amar had been in touch with Puja’s father in the US, and had even asked him for money from his mother. The police have seized Amar’s mobile phone and are interrogating him further.
In a surprising revelation, Puja has stated that her earlier claims of torture and forced conversion were false, and she had actually returned to India to reunite with Amar. “I want to live with Amar, whom I love since my school days. I didn’t do well in America, so I told a lie to return to Odisha,” Puja said.
Puja has also expressed gratitude towards her adoptive mother, stating she was loving and affectionate and had never tortured her. “My mother has never tortured me in any way. I don’t want her to get in trouble for me,” she added.
The Odisha government had taken cognisance of Puja’s social media post, and officials had contacted the State Adoption Resource Agency and Central Adoption Resource Authority to facilitate her return to India.
