New Delhi/Oslo: Government sources said on Saturday that there could be more to the Norway child row case, in which an Indian couple belonging to Andhra Pradesh was arrested for reprimanding its seven-year-old boy for wetting his pants. The sources added that the family has had trouble with the Norwegian authorities in the past too. The Ministry of External Affairs, however, is not disclosing details to protect the child.
The sources hinted that there could be wrongdoing on the part of the parents and that the Indian government would not intervene in the case as it is in the Norway court. The Ministry of External Affairs had stepped in the case after the couple's family in India urged the government's intervention. It had also asked the consular officer in Norway to offer all help to the couple. An official from the Indian Embassy in Oslo had also met the father on Friday.
The parents could face up to one and a half years in prison as the prosecution has asked for 15 months jail term for the mother and 18 months for the father for allegedly ill-treating their son repeatedly. Sources said that if the couple is convicted, it will have a right to appeal. A judgement in the case is expected to be pronounced on December 3. "Indian couple held in Norway for trying to discipline their son charged with gross repeated maltreatment of their child by threats, violence or other wrong," said Norway Police Department.
According to the information with the Indian Embassy in Oslo, Chandrashekar Vallabhaneni, a software professional from Andhra Pradesh, and his wife Anupama were taken into custody by the police in Oslo on Monday. The police arrested Chandrasekhar, a TCS employee nine months after the child complained to his school teachers that his parents were threatening to send him back to India for his acts, Chandrasekhar's nephew V Sailender, who is in Hyderabad, claimed.
"My uncle had no idea about the case registered against him initially. He came to Hyderabad along with his wife and children in July and went back to Oslo in the last week of October. Then he was served a notice to appear before the authorities along with his wife," he said.
"My aunt also went to Oslo on November 23 and the couple appeared before the authorities concerned. On November 28, we were informed by my uncle's neighbours in Oslo that they were arrested and remanded," Sailender said.
The boy was found wetting his pants in the school bus which was reported to his father, who in turn "threatened" the child that he would be sent back to India if he repeated that again, Sailender said, adding the boy was also found bringing toys from school.
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