The long-drawn row over the custody of the Non-resident Indian (NRI) kids in Norway has finally come to an end with the court ruling in favour of the kids' uncle.
Abhigyan (3) and Aishwarya Bhattacharya (1) returned to India on Tuesday to a warm welcome after nearly a year. They were received by their grandparents and Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur at the Indira Gandhi International airport, New Delhi.
After keeping the kids in the custody of the Child Welfare Service (CWS), a Norwegian court on Monday ruled that they be handed to their uncle Arunabhash Bhattacharya.
Sagarika Bhattacharya, mother of the kids, thanked the Indian authorities for all the help.
"Children are most valuable things in my life. I will dedicate my whole life for them. Me and my parents were fighting since last one year... give them a big hug on behalf of me and my parents," she wrote on her Facebook page.
"I convey my best regards to Indian government, politicians, media, Indian people, Norwegian people and human rights activists, who helped me a lot," she added.
External Affairs Minister SM Krishna welcomed the court's ruling and thanked Norway for paving the way for the kids to return home.
"I am delighted to welcome back the two children. They belong to India, they are Indian nationals. I thank the government of Norway and in particular the Foreign Minister for his constructive approach. All is well that ends well," CNN IBN quoted Krishna as saying.
It may be recalled that the Norwegian Child Welfare Services took away the kids from their parents in May 2011, accusing them of not raising their kids well.
The parents complicated their kids' custody case by throwing accusations at each other. Anurup Bhattacharya, the father of the children, accused his wife of marital violence. He alleged that she had psychological problems and had assaulted him and the children. However, in a volte face, he denied having any marital problems and blamed the media of distorting the truth. As if that's not enough, the mother of the kids also accused her husband of harassment.
