By IANS,
New Delhi : External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna Thursday said Norwegian authorities could do little about the NRI children custody row because the matter was already in a court in that country.
“A judicial process is on and it is not possible for the executive to make any move. The case is being heard March 23 and thereafter it should be possible for efforts in the direction of getting the children back to India,” Krishna told reporters here after he received a report from Madhusudan Ganapathi, secretary, west.
Ganapathi was sent to Norway as a special envoy to plead India’s case. He returned Thursday after meeting Norwegian authorities who have agreed to grant the custody of Abhigyan and Aishwarya, aged one and three respectively, to their uncle.
They are the children of Anurup and Sagarika Bhattacharya, an NRI couple living in Norway. The two were taken away by Norwegian child welfare society last May on grounds of “emotional disconnect” and put in a foster home.
The matter is pending before a Norwegian court, which is expected announce its verdict March 23.
Krishna said Ganapathi informed him about his meetings with several senior ministers, including the Norwegian foreign minister.
“Nobody expected that Ganapathi would come back with the children. We have to deal with the situation till the judicial process is completed.”
He said the government was closely monitoring the case and if necessary he would send more officials to Norway. “It is our earnest endeavour to get the children back to India at the earliest.”
The minister said he also met the grandparents of the children and assured them that the government was “on the job” to get the issue resolved.
“Just now, I met the grandparents of the children and I have assured them that we are on the job and let us hope that we will succeed in achieving what everyone of us wants to.”