Norway custody row: Kids to be handed over to uncle

Oslo, Mar 30: With the Norway custody row of Abhigyan and Aishwarya, the two children of Norway-based Indian couple, Anurup and Sagarika Bhattacharya grabbing media attention across the world, there seem to be a breakthrough in sight in the case. It has been reported that the children will be handed over to the paternal uncle by the Norway's Child Welfare Service (CWS) after being in foster care for over 10 months.

WS Communication Adviser Thomas Bore Olsen in an email statement said, "The CWS now recommends that the uncle takes over care of the two Indian children in the child welfare case and a Stavanger District Court will make the final decision on April 17."

Olsen added that if the court decides that the children should be moved out from the care of public authorities, "the agreement can be implemented as soon as practicable. The uncle will then take over the care of the children and take them back to India".

The fact that differences cropped up between both parents is also understood having impacted the case. The case was supposed to have come up for hearing on Mar 23, but was cancelled when the news of the purported fight between the parents cropped up in the media. The hearing was intended to decide on handing over the children to the paternal uncle Arunabhash Bhattacharya.

Gunnar Toresen, head of the Child Welfare Service in Stavanger said, "The uncle was also concerned that he would not have sufficient support and assistance with the care of the children on return to India. The situation is now different. The true basis for the case has now been made known in India, and he feels that he now has strong support there."

He "emphasized the Child Welfare Service has all along been confident that the uncle could provide good care of the children".

OneIndia News