A month after the return to India of Abhigyan and Aishwarya, their families are caught in a fresh row. The children were in the custody of the Norwegian Child Welfare Service for about 10 months in Stavenger.
Arunabhash Bhattacharya, the children's uncle to whom their custody was granted by the Norwegian authorities, alleged on Thursday that their maternal grandfather, Monotosh Chakraborty, accompanied by “goons,” threatened to take them away by force.
Mother kept apart
On the other hand, Mr. Chakraborty claimed that their mother Sagarika was not being allowed to see her children.
After spending a few days in Kolkata on their return, the children were taken to Asansol in Bardhaman district, where Dr. Bhattacharya has a dental practice. Sagarika and her parents, who live on the outskirts of Kolkata, allege that they have not been allowed to meet the children, and there has been no communication between the families in the meantime.
“Mr. Chakraborty came to our home after 8 p.m. on Wednesday, demanding to see the children. He was accompanied with four other persons… unknown to us. And they had come without giving us any prior information,” Mr. Bhattacharya told The Hindu on the phone. He alleged that Mr. Chakraborty hurled abuses at his parents and even threatened violence.
Dr. Bhattacharya said he was particularly concerned about the safety of the children and his parents, as he was out of town now, on a trip to get his licence renewed.
He said he had contacted the police, who had assured him of help.
He said Sagarika and the Chakrabortys again came to their house on Thursday and almost forced their way in. “But we informed the police, and they came. Eventually, Sagarika was able to see the children. She met them only for five minutes and then left.”
Mr. Chakraborty admitted to having gone to Dr. Bhattacharya's residence on Wednesday, but said it was he who was abused and not allowed to meet his grandchildren.
Even on the day when Sagarika was allowed to meet Abhigyan and Aishwarya, she was not allowed to go anywhere near them.
The Norwegian authorities, it was learnt from a source, did not allow the children to go back to their parents on the ground that Sagarika suffers from psychological problems.
