Anurup Bhattacharya and his wife gained public attention for their battle to reclaim custody of their children from the Norwegian foster care system. The authorities had taken their children away because of “bad parenting.”
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Anurup Bhattacharya was born in the city of Kolkata.
He is from a Hindu Bengali family.
Ajay Bhattacharya is Anurup’s father, and Krishna Bhattacharya is his mother.
He has a dentist brother named Arunabhas Bhattacharya.
In 2007, Anurup Bhattacharya married Sagarika Bhattacharya.
EDUCATION
In 2003, he received his M.Sc tech, Geophysics degree from Banaras Hindu University.
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE
Height (approx.): 5′ 10″
Weight (approx.): 90 kg
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
CAREER
During his college years, he worked as a Senior Research Scholar in National Geophysical Research Fellow in Heat Flow studies and with the Government of India project for the delineation of a Legal Continental Shelf in NCAOR in Seismic gravity and magnetic studies. He then worked as a Geoscientist for Schlumberger Information Solutions until 2010, when he and his wife relocated to Norway. He has been a Senior Geologist at Landmark Graphics since 2010.
Anurup Bhattacharya and Sagarika Bhattacharya moved to Norway in 2007. According to reports, the family was investigated by the child welfare service for several months. Authorities removed their children (Abhigyan, 3 years old, and Aishwarya, 1 year old at the time of the incident) in May 2011, citing concerns about their parenting abilities.
The charges included objections to Sagarika hand-feeding the baby and the children sharing the same bed as their parents, both of which are common in Indian households. The parents were also accused of providing inappropriate clothing and toys for their children, as well as not providing enough space for them to play. Furthermore, despite the fact that it was only a single incident, Sagarika was charged with slapping her child. The Child Welfare Services, also known as Barnevernet, is in charge of protecting children in Norway and imposes strict regulations regardless of the families’ cultural background. A light slap is illegal, and the organisation offers counselling, advisory services, and aid measures, such as external support contacts, relief measures, and access to daycare. The Bhattacharyas were receiving counselling and claimed to have followed it. Custody of the children was transferred to Anurup Bhattacharya’s brother following a diplomatic dispute and conflict between the parents and the officials. The children were eventually allowed to return home with their mother. The incident also sparked diplomatic tensions between India and Norway.
