Custody row: Norway to hand over children to their uncle

Kolkata, March 30 (IANS) Uncertainty over the custody of two NRI children who have been taken into foster care in Norway on grounds of alleged negligence by their parents seems to be over with the Norwegian authorities agreeing to hand over the kids to their paternal uncle Arunabhash Bhattacharya, a family member said Friday.

"The (Norway) Child Welfare Service (CWS) has informed that the children, Abhigyan and Aishwarya, will be handed to Arunabhash on April 17 after conclusion of the court hearing on the issue," Ajay Bhattacharya, grandfather of the children, told IANS over phone.

"The April 17 court hearing was earlier cancelled over the reported differences between my son Anurup and his wife Sagarika (parents of the children), but the matter has been resolved, and the hearing will take place as slated where the custody of the kids will be handed over to their uncle," added Ajay Bhattacharya.

After the Indian government's intervention, the authorities had agreed to recommend to a court in Norway March 23 that the children be placed in the custody of their uncle Arunabhash.

However, that did not happen following reports of marital discord between the parents of the children.

The kids, aged three and one, were taken away from their parents by the child welfare service of the local municipality and placed under emergency foster care in May 2011.