In a breakthrough in the NRI children custody row, the Norwegian Child Welfare Service today decided to award the custody of two children to the brother of their father enabling him to bring them back to India.
"This week, the Child Welfare Service (CWS) in Stavanger completed its talks with the uncle in the child welfare case concerning two Indian children. It has been concluded that care of the two children should be awarded to the brother of the children’s father enabling him to take the children back to India," CWS said in a press statement.
The proposed solution will be presented on March 23, the provisional date for the hearing, to Stavanger District Court which will take the final decision in the case.
This arrangement requires, however, that the Child Welfare Service ensures that the necessary legal framework and follow-up procedures are in place in order to safeguard the children’s best interests and enable the uncle to deal with the situation in the best possible way, CWS said.
Abhigyan (1) and Aishwarya (3), children of Anurup and Sagarika Bhattacharya, an NRI couple living there, were taken away by Barnevarne Norwegian CWS last May on the ground of "emotional disconnect" and put in a foster home.
Ministry of External Affairs has been making huge efforts to impress upon the Norwegian authorities to find an amicable and urgent solution to the row with Minister S M Krishna assuring that the children would be brought home at "any cost".In the statement, the CWS also said "the Norwegianauthorities will ask the Indian authorities to ensure the necessary follow-up for the children in the event of their return to India".
In order to process the case concerning the two Indian children who were taken into the care of Stavanger municipality and placed in a Norwegian foster home, the Child Welfare Service has had to apply for an extension to the children’s residence permits," it said.
"Extending the residence permit for the children in a case such as this is a practical technicality and does not mean that the Child Welfare Service is seeking to keep the children in Norway for longer than is necessary to arrive at a satisfactory solution to the case," it added.
Family members meet S M Krishna
"This week, the Child Welfare Service (CWS) in Stavanger completed its talks with the uncle in the child welfare case concerning two Indian children. It has been concluded that care of the two children should be awarded to the brother of the children’s father enabling him to take the children back to India," CWS said in a press statement.
The proposed solution will be presented on March 23, the provisional date for the hearing, to Stavanger District Court which will take the final decision in the case.
This arrangement requires, however, that the Child Welfare Service ensures that the necessary legal framework and follow-up procedures are in place in order to safeguard the children’s best interests and enable the uncle to deal with the situation in the best possible way, CWS said.
Abhigyan (1) and Aishwarya (3), children of Anurup and Sagarika Bhattacharya, an NRI couple living there, were taken away by Barnevarne Norwegian CWS last May on the ground of "emotional disconnect" and put in a foster home.
Ministry of External Affairs has been making huge efforts to impress upon the Norwegian authorities to find an amicable and urgent solution to the row with Minister S M Krishna assuring that the children would be brought home at "any cost".In the statement, the CWS also said "the Norwegianauthorities will ask the Indian authorities to ensure the necessary follow-up for the children in the event of their return to India".
In order to process the case concerning the two Indian children who were taken into the care of Stavanger municipality and placed in a Norwegian foster home, the Child Welfare Service has had to apply for an extension to the children’s residence permits," it said.
"Extending the residence permit for the children in a case such as this is a practical technicality and does not mean that the Child Welfare Service is seeking to keep the children in Norway for longer than is necessary to arrive at a satisfactory solution to the case," it added.
Family members meet S M Krishna
NEW DELHI: Family members of the two Indian children lodged in a foster home in Norway on Tuesday met external affairs minister S M Krishna, who assured them that the children would be brought home at any cost.
"We are committed and determined that we will bring back the children home at any cost," CPM MP Brinda Karat, who accompanied the grandparents of the children to the meeting, quoted Krishna as saying.
Talking to reporters, the kids' grandfather Manatosh Chakraborty said they were satisfied with their meeting and hoped some "positive" results will emerge.
This is the first time that the government has sent a special envoy abroad in connection with such type of cases and "we feel optimistic", he added.
During the interaction, the minister informed that talks held between the special envoy secretary (west) Madhusudhan Ganapathi and Norwegian authorities has been "constructive", Karat said.
When asked about problems that could arise in event of extension of visa, Karat said they should wait till the envoy returns back to get the details on all this and other related issues.
She said the parents have appealed to the higher court there against the judgement of the lower court which has ruled the children are to be in Norway till they are 18.
"So in appeal against that, we want to make sure the child protection services there come to an agreement," she said.
Norwegian child welfare officials have accused NRI couple Sagarika and Anurup Bhattacharya of negligence and placed their children, one-year-old Aishwarya and three-year-old Abhigyan in foster care in May last year.
"We are committed and determined that we will bring back the children home at any cost," CPM MP Brinda Karat, who accompanied the grandparents of the children to the meeting, quoted Krishna as saying.
Talking to reporters, the kids' grandfather Manatosh Chakraborty said they were satisfied with their meeting and hoped some "positive" results will emerge.
This is the first time that the government has sent a special envoy abroad in connection with such type of cases and "we feel optimistic", he added.
During the interaction, the minister informed that talks held between the special envoy secretary (west) Madhusudhan Ganapathi and Norwegian authorities has been "constructive", Karat said.
When asked about problems that could arise in event of extension of visa, Karat said they should wait till the envoy returns back to get the details on all this and other related issues.
She said the parents have appealed to the higher court there against the judgement of the lower court which has ruled the children are to be in Norway till they are 18.
"So in appeal against that, we want to make sure the child protection services there come to an agreement," she said.
Norwegian child welfare officials have accused NRI couple Sagarika and Anurup Bhattacharya of negligence and placed their children, one-year-old Aishwarya and three-year-old Abhigyan in foster care in May last year.
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