Uncle told to take kids to mother twice every week

The custody case of Abhigyan, 4, and his sister Aishwarya, 1, who were handed over to their uncle Arunabhas Bhattacharya by the Child Welfare Authorities of Norway earlier this year, has once again hit the headlines. The Burdwan chapter of the state government-controlled Child Welfare Committee, in its order issued on August 9, has instructed Arunabhas, a dental surgeon who stays with his parents and the two children at Kulti in Burdwan district, to visit it twice a week along with the children so that they can meet their mother Sagarika.

The CWC issued the order on the basis of an instruction given by the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights, which was approached by Sagarika.

Arunabhas, brother of the children's father Anurup, criticised the decision. "The distance between Kulti and Burdwan town is 130 km. We have been asked to go there on August 14 and 18, and then twice every week. It means every week the children will have to travel 500 km. Have they done great justice to the children? We have always maintained that the mother can live with the children, but her father is coming with musclemen and threatening us. It is so unfortunate," Arunabhas told The Indian Express over phone.

CWC member Piyali Kar, however, said: "Our motive is to work out on a rapprochement between the parents so that the kids get the childhood they deserve. We have selected Burdwan because Sagarika will also have to come from Kolkata."

"Sagarika is the mother and she has every right to get the children back. We all are working towards that goal," said Suranya Aiyer, a Delhi-based lawyer who is rendering legal advice to Sagarika.

ALSO READ

On mother's day, she waits for son jailed for 17 yrs

Ten killed in Aizawl landslide, 7 trapped

Maharashtra does away with finger test on rape victims

6 Haryana villages decide not to send girls to school to avoid harassment