MEA Official’s Visit to Norway Put on Hold

NEW DELHI: India is now treading carefully on taking further steps in the Norway kids custody case, as the feud between the parents have become public leading to cancellation of the visit by two senior Indian officials for the crucial hearing on the case.

The case went through quick permutations this week, after media reports emerged quoting the kids’ father Anurup Bhattacharya as saying that his wife had psychological problems and had attacked him violently. There were also contradicting reports on whether he had filed divorce case against his wife or not.

Faced with this sudden twist, the government put on hold its plan to send two senior officials of the Ministry of External Affairs to Norway to witness the scheduled crucial hearing on March 23 in Stavanger.

“The government has tried its best to bring the children home so that they have a future in the country. But a new situation has developed.... we cannot interfere. The visit of a joint secretary (to Norway) has been postponed,” Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur told reporters outside Parliament House. She said the government would look into the situations before taking further step. This was echoed by Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai.  

The Norwegian child welfare services, Barnevarne, had removed Avigyan, 3 and Aishwarya, 1, from Anurup and Sagarika Bhattacharya in Stavanger last May, claiming emotional disconnect with the parents and placed them in foster care as per the directive of a local court.