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In a heartbreaking incident, an elderly woman who was reunited with her family after nearly 25 years was refused acceptance by her own son because she declined to change her religion.

The woman, who had been living in a shelter home in Kolkata, had gone missing from her village in Jharkhand’s Godda district around two decades ago. After years of wandering, she eventually found refuge in a shelter home run by missionaries in Kolkata.

Recently, efforts by the shelter home staff helped trace her family to Dahupadhar village in Godda district. When she was taken back to her village, however, her family refused to accept her. The reason was not a personal dispute but her religious faith.

Her son, Madan Besra, reportedly told authorities that he would allow his mother to stay only if she renounced Christianity and converted to Hinduism. The nearly 70-year-old woman firmly refused, stating that she wished to continue practicing Christianity. Following her refusal, her son declined to take her back home.

According to villagers, the woman had adopted Christianity even before her marriage. She lived in the village while her husband was alive, but after his death, locals allegedly pressured her to convert to Hinduism. When she refused, she eventually left the village.

The woman, identified as Sushila Murmu, said she does not clearly remember how she reached Kolkata. She was assisted by missionaries, who provided her shelter and care. For the past two decades, she has considered the shelter home her only home.

Shelter staff began searching for her family after she frequently spoke about her late husband and relatives. A shelter home employee shared her details and photograph with a radio station, which circulated the information widely. Eventually, her son was traced, and the two spoke via video call, seeing each other for the first time in 25 years.

However, the reunion ended on a painful note. “My son said I could return home only if I became Hindu again, but I refused,” she said.

Poreyahat police station in-charge Mahavir Pandit said he would personally visit the village to speak with the son and gather complete details about the matter. For now, Sushila Murmu continues to stay at the same shelter home in Kolkata, where she has spent the last 20 years of her life.