India tells Norway to settle kids’ custody issue

New Delhi, January 23
As an Indian couple battles in Norway for the custody of their two children - taken away and sent to foster care by the Child Protective Services, India today asked the Scandinavian country to work out a settlement with the family of the two children.

External Affairs Minister S M Krishna called Norway’s Charge d’affaires Aslak Brun to his residence to discuss the issue and later spoke to his Norwegian counterpart.

Talking to reporters, he said he has come to the conclusion after the talks that a reasonable settlement could be worked out.

"This (settlement) has to be worked out with the family of the children," Krishna said when asked if any other solution to the issue was acceptable to the Indian government. Three-year-old Abhigyan and one-year-old Aishwarya, children of Anurup and Sagarika Bhattacharya, an NRI couple living in Stavanger, Norway, were taken under protective care by Barnevarne (Norwegian Child Welfare Services) in May on the grounds that they were not looked after properly by their parents.

Barnevarne has placed them in foster parental care as per the directive of the local Norwegian court, mandated under Norwegian laws.

Asked about the couple’s visa that is likely to end in early March, Krishna said Norway was willing to accommodate the Indian government to the extent possible within the limits of jurisdiction. "If there are visa issues, I think it can be worked out," he said.

India has over the last two months issued a couple of strong demarche to Norway on its decision to separate the two Indian children from their NRI parents and conveyed that it felt it was "an extreme step and unjustified".