Cal HC directs upholding of Norway court's order on children

Justice Dipankar Dutta gave the direction after the two children were handed over to their mother, Sagarika Bhattacharya and her father Monotosh Chakraborty, by their uncle Anurabhash Bhattacharya at Kulti in Burdwan district during the day.

The plea of the mother, who has approached the high court for the custody of her children, would be heard next Monday.

Burdwan District Magistrate Omkar Singh Meena earlier said that their mother had appealed to the Child Welfare Society in the district to get the custody of the children from their uncle.

The CWC, had on November 8 passed an interim order that Abhighyan and Aishwarya who were brought back from Norway on April 24 last year and handed over to the fostercare of their uncle, should be given back to their mother.

CWC members who had approached the police then in restoring custody were refused assistance on the ground that it was to be ascertained whether the Norway court that gave the children's custody to the uncle or the CWC which ordered the children be handed back to their mother, was higher.

Meena said, after taking legal counsel, the children were handed over to the mother and her father this morning.

The children were staying with their uncle who is a dental surgeon in Kulti near Asansol in the district.

The mother has been living at her father's residence in Birati in North 24 Parganas after leaving Norway on March 20 last year.

Sagarika's husband Anurup is still in Norway. They had married in 2007. The children had returned to India following diplomatic pressure.

The children were earlier placed in foster care by Norway's Child Protection Agency in Stavanger city till they attained majority after their mother's alleged inability to respond to their needs.