Bolangir: The Odisha police issued an expulsion order to Sarada Bai, who has spent thirty-three years living in India as a 55-year-old Pakistan national. The Bolangir Superintendent of Police released an expulsion order that states legal consequences will happen if the person does not leave the country as instructed. This expulsion order is among the series of actions India took against Pakistani citizens residing in the nation after the Pahalgam terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 people.
Sarada migrated to India in 1987 with her father and six siblings to settle in Koraput district of Odisha through a 60-day visa that originated from Sukkur in Sindh province, Pakistan. She married Bolangir businessman Mahesh Kukreja, after which she settled in Bolangir thirty-five years ago and gave birth to an Indian son and daughter while raising two Indian grandchildren. Contending with both a voter ID card and Aadhaar card failed to help her acquire Indian citizenship, so she remains exposed to the recent visa cancellation process.
The April 26th 2025 document states that Sarada doesn’t possess a valid long-term visa together with qualifying for any visa exemptions, which include medical, diplomatic or official visas. “I have no one in Pakistan. Sarada told reporters through shaky tones that India serves as her permanent residence because she needs to stay close to her children as well as her grandchildren. Her son revealed his deep concern because the family repeatedly submits citizenship applications yearly, but all attempts have failed, thus delaying their potential separation.
The Odisha government has selected 12 Pakistani citizens spanning the state for removal after the central government issued an order cancelling all Pakistani visas starting from April 27, 2025, and providing temporary medical visa allowances until April 29. The Pahalgam attack motivated Indian authorities to enforce this action together with the postponement of the Indus Waters Treaty and Wagah-Attari border shutdown. Those who remain in India after the expiration of the given deadlines will face both deportation and legal consequences.
Public sentiment toward Sarada’s situation became intense after stories emerged about her situation from Bolangir residents. The deportation notice issued to her sister, who lives in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, reveals how such actions affect families that have connections across borders. The stringent measures from India continue to create human losses, which relentlessly affect families such as Sarada’s through their emotional breakdowns.