Rani Mukherji-starrer Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway has brought back the more than a decade-old infamous battle of an Indian Couple fighting for the custody of two children with the Norway government. The trailer of the film promises a rollercoaster ride of emotions. The trailer of the film also mentioned that the film was based on a true event and indeed it was a nightmare for the Indian Couple. The real-life couple named Anurup Bhattacharya and Sagarika Bhattacharya got married in 2007 and moved to Norway to start their new life.
The couple was blessed with Avigyan and the following year a baby girl, Aishwarya, in 2010. Avigyan reportedly developed “autism-like” symptoms in his early years and was placed in a family kindergarten near the family’s home. The family was reportedly under watch for months by the child welfare service and in May 2011, the authorities took away the couple’s children on the pretext of bad parenting and put them under foster care.
They raised objections to Sagarika hand-feeding the baby, equating it to force-feeding. They also had problems with children sleeping on the same bed as their parents, something very common in Indian Households. They also put charges that Sagrika once slapped her toddler and the children didn’t have enough room to play in the house and had “unsuitable” clothes and toys.
Child Welfare commonly known as Barnevernet in Norway is a public organisation responsible for child protection in the country. The body is extremely strict about child protection and imposes strict regulations for all citizens living in the country. Even a mild slap is said to be illegal.
The couple appealed to the Foreign Ministry to intervene in the case. The Government of India had severely criticised the Child welfare service of Norway for taking children away from their parents.
After a diplomatic row between India and Norway, the Norwegian authorities decided to award custody to their father’s brother, and permission to bring them back to India.
Amid the long battle for their children, Anurup and Sagarika’s marriage fell apart and they separated. The legal battle for Sagarika continued but this time it was in India to get sole custody of her children. She had then alleged that her husband and her in-laws have falsely accused her of being mentally unstable and unfit to take care of the two children.
She was granted custody of her children by the Calcutta High Court in January 2013. After winning the custody battle, Sagarika told NDTV, “It’s a huge relief and I want to convey my regards to my well-wishers."
Sagarika now lives a private life with her children in Kolkata.
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