Norway has told India that, the authorities are handling the case involving the custody of a five-year-old child of an Indian family in accordance with the Norwegian Child Welfare Act, that includes directions from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Norwegian officials conveyed this to the Indian ambassador who had gone to seek report in the matter. The Norwegian authorities also informed him that, the child welfare cases are subject to a strict duty of confidentiality, as such cases are highly sensitive.

Earlier, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had said India wants the five-and-a-half-year-old boy united with his natural parents and refused to accept that foster parents can take better care of the child than the natural parents.

Swaraj had tweeted, "The foster parents are totally ignorant of the Indian culture and our food habits. We want restoration of Aryan to his natural parents."

The spokesperson of the Norwegian embassy, said that, "The Indian ambassador to Norway visited the Norwegian authorities earlier today (in Oslo) to discuss the child welfare case involving a Norwegian/Indian family, where the child holds Norwegian citizenship. The meeting had a constructive atmosphere.”

"The Norwegian authorities have reiterated that child welfare cases are handled in accordance to the Norwegian Child Welfare Act, which includes directions from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child."

Sushma Swaraj seeks report in NRI Child custody in Norway

Nandini