This Article is From Dec 01, 2012

Indian mission offers consular help to arrested couple in Norway

Hyderabad: A couple from Andhra Pradesh who has been arrested in Norway for alleged child abuse has been assured all help from India.

Reacting swiftly to the request made by lawyer of the Indian couple - Chandrashekar Vallabhaneni and his wife Anupama - an officer of the Indian embassy met the husband after getting consular access, official sources said.

They said that Consular officer met Mr Chandrashekar this evening and ascertained his welfare besides asking for information that he may like to convey. The officer explained the situation to him and assured that the Embassy will continue to keep in touch with his lawyer and that it stands ready to assist them, the sources said.

The Vallabhanenis were arrested in Oslo on Monday. They will find out this coming Monday if they can leave jail.

Mr Chandrasekhar works with software giant TCS which had deputed him to Oslo 18 months ago to handle a project. He took his wife and his two sons with him. Then his older son, Sai Sriram, allegedly told his teachers that his parents had reprimanded him harshly for wetting his pants, and threatened to send him home to India.

In Hyderabad, Mr Chandrasekhar's family says that child welfare authorities took Sai Sriram away for a month, but returned him to his parents' care after medical tests established he had minor behavioural problems.

The family returned home in July. But this month, Mr Chandrasekhar returned to Norway, once again for work, and was issued court summons, after which he was arrested on Monday along with Anupama, who had travelled to attend the court hearing with him.

Mr Chandrasekhar's mother and sister say they were informed by a colleague of his arrest. The Norwegian authorities have not contacted them nor elaborated on the charges against the couple, they allege.

The family wants the Indian government to intervene to help bring the couple home, where their children are being looked after by relatives in Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, Sai Sairam is undergoing counselling in Hyderabad.

A few months ago another Indian couple in Norway - Anurup and Sagarika Bhattacharya - were involved in a prolonged custody battle with Norwegian authorities after their two children were taken away by child welfare services in May last year.

(With inputs from PTI)
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