India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was approached by a Non-Residential Indian couple in Norway who have sought her help after Norwegian authorities took their child’s custody and sent him to Children’s welfare home.
Ms. Swaraj on Thursday asked the Indian Ambassador in Norway to send a report on the allegation made by NRI parents against Norway government for taking custody of their child.
Reports in Indian media state that the NRI couple was separated from their 5-year-old boy by Norway’s Child Welfare Department.
The authorities have accused the parents of beating the child.
While talking to The Indian Express, Anil Kumar, father of the boy said Norway’s welfare department had taken their 5-year-old son from his school without giving any prior notice on December 13.
Kumar further said that four policemen came to his house and took his wife into custody and interrogated her for more than two hours.
Kumar reportedly runs a restaurant in Norway and has also served as the Vice-President of the Overseas Friends of the BJP in Oslo (Norway).
His son has been sent to a children’s welfare home in Hamar, which is 150 km away from Oslo.
When Kumar asked the authorities for taking their son’s custody, he was told that they have beaten up their son.
Kumar who got to meet his son at the welfare home on December 19th said that his son was wearing the same clothes he had been wearing the day, he was picked from school.
Kumar has now sought help from the Indian government. Ms. Swaraj has tweeted saying she has received the report and they will now be taking up the matter with authorities.
