Indian Ambassador to Norway Debraj Pradhan has sought a meeting with the head of the Consular Section in the Norwegian Foreign Ministry. This is after the Indian woman, whose son has been taken away by the Child Welfare Services there, sought government's intervention.
External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said the government will decide how to pursue the case after the meeting. He said, “Indian Ambassador to Norway Debraj Pradhan has sought a meeting with the head of the Consular Section in the Norwegian Foreign Ministry.”
The child’s parents, Gurvinderjit Kaur and her husband Anil Kumar, who is a Norwegian national, have alleged that authorities in that country have taken away their 5-year-old son Aryan, also a Norwegian national, on a frivolous complaint of abuse.
MEA officials said after the "formal request" by the Indian woman, the ministry was now "empowered" to pursue the matter with the Norwegian authorities.
The Indian couple had first sought BJP leader Vijay Jolly's help in getting back the custody of their child, after which he wrote to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj who had said India will provide them help.
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Jolly had also maintained that according to the mother, the child is being "daily served porridge and bread while he is fond of Indian food".
In its response, the Norwegian Embassy had asked for "restraint" in the case, assuring that it is being handled with "complete sensitivity and awareness."
This is the third case since 2011 when children have been taken away from their Indian-origin parents by the authorities in Norway on the grounds of abuse.