15 years after adoption, Spanish woman returns to India in search of biological mother

Sneha, a 21-year-old Spanish woman, has traveled to Bhubaneswar, India, to find her biological mother before returning to Spain. Adopted in 2010 along with her brother from a local orphanage, Sneha is determined to uncover her origins despite minimal information. With police and local help, they are trying to locate her mother, Banalata Das, with a tight deadline ahead.
 

NEW DELHI: A young Spanish woman is on a search for her biological mother in Odisha's capital Bhubaneswar before returning to Spain on Monday.

With minimal information about her background, 21-year-old Sneha, who researches children's education, travelled to India to discover her origins. Her adoptive Spanish parents, Gema Vidal and Juan Josh, backed her decision, with Gema joining her journey to her native state. The couple had adopted Sneha and her brother Somu in 2010 from a Bhubaneswar orphanage, where they lived after their mother Banalata Das left them in 2005.

“The purpose of my journey from Spain to Bhubaneswar is to find my biological parents, especially my mother. I want to find her and meet her. I am fully prepared for the journey even if it is difficult,” Sneha told PTI.

When questioned about confronting her biological mother about the abandonment, Sneha remained silent. She was just over one year old, whilst her brother was only months old when it happened.

Sneha and Gema have been working with local police and a retired teacher to locate Banalata. They discovered Banalata and her husband, Santosh Das, who had previously abandoned the family, are likely from the Badamba-Narsinghpur area in Cuttack district. Police are now working with local officials in that area to find them.

During their search, they met Sneha Sudha Mishra, a retired Rama Devi Women's University teacher, who assisted in discovering her parents' names.

"We found out about her parents' names from the house owner in Nayapally and later the names were verified with the police and the orphanage," Mishra said.

With Mishra's help, they met Police Commissioner Dev Datta Singh, who assigned officers Anjali Chhotray and Gangadhar Pradhan to find Banalata Das and Santosh Das.

"We have found out that Banalata Das and Santosh are from Badamba-Narsinghpur area in Cuttack district. We have engaged police and panchayat functionaries to locate them," Inspector Anjali Chhotray said.

Gema, a yoga teacher, explained their limited timeframe. “We have to return to Spain as Sneha has joined a training programme which should not be discontinued. If we do not get Banalata in the next 24 hours, we will come back to Bhubaneswar in March.”

Sneha's brother, Somu, also adopted by Gema and her husband, remained in Spain due to work commitments. The siblings were left at their rented home in Bhubaneswar by their mother, later placed in an orphanage, and subsequently adopted.

Sneha is a researcher in children's education. Gema described her as "very responsible and educated" and "the joy of our house." Gema previously informed Sneha and Somu about their origins in Odisha and their adoption.