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Adopted by Spanish couple 15 years ago, Odisha woman searches for biological mother in India

Sneha and her brother Somu were reportedly sheltered in an orphanage in Bhubaneswar after their mother abandoned them in 2005.

Now known as Sneha Enrique Vidal, a researcher in children's education, she has returned to India in search of her roots (Image source: PTI)

A 21-year-old woman has returned to India 15 years after being adopted by a Spanish couple. Sneha and her brother Somu were abandoned by her biological mother two decades ago. According to news agency PTI, the siblings were born in Odisha and were adopted by Spanish couple Gema Vidal and Juan Josh in 2010.

The siblings were reportedly sheltered in an orphanage in Bhubaneswar after their mother Banalata Das abandoned them in 2005. Now known as Sneha Enrique Vidal, a researcher in children’s education, she has returned to India in search of her roots, with limited information about her past. In an interview with PTI, Sneha opened up about her “desire” to find her biological parents, especially Das.

“My journey from Spain to Bhubaneswar is driven by the desire to find my biological parents, especially my mother. I want to meet her, and I am fully prepared for whatever challenges lie ahead,” PTI quoted Sneha as saying.

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Sneha hailed her Spanish parents for providing the siblings with everything they could ask for and never making them feel like they were adopted. She said they also ensured the best education for the siblings. “They have showered us with unconditional love,” she said.

Sneha and Gema arrived in Bhubaneswar on December 19 and have been staying in a hotel ever since. Somu, however, could not accompany them as he had commitments in Spain. If they do not find Sneha’s biological mother by Monday, they plan to go back and return to India in March for an extended stay.

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“We must return to Spain because Sneha has joined a training program that cannot be interrupted. If we don’t locate Banalata within the next 24 hours, we will come back to Bhubaneswar in March,” Gema explained.

In their long search in Bhubaneswar, Gema and Sneha met Sneha Sudha Mishra, a retired teacher from Rama Devi Women’s University, who assisted them in finding out the names of Sneha’s biological parents. With the help of Commissioner of Police Dev Datta Singh, who assigned police personnel Anjali Chhotray and Gangadhar Pradhan, Sneha and Gema found the location of Das and her husband Santosh, who had abandoned his family of six.

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“We have found out Banalata Das and Santosh are from the Badamba-Narsinghpur area in the Cuttack district. We have engaged police and panchayat functionaries to locate them,” Inspector Anjali Chhotray told PTI.