‘Scar mistaken for abuse’
Lingamaneni Veerab-hadra Rao, grandfather of seven-year-old V. Sai Sri Ram, whose parents have been accused of abusing the child and were arrested by Norwegian authorities on Monday, said that the authorities mistook a scar on the boy’s body for physical abuse by his parents.
Mr Rao, a Saroornagar resident, is running from pillar to post to get his daughter Anupama and son-in-law Vallabhaneni Chandrasekhar out of jail.
Oslo police have arrested the couple on charges of grievously hurting the child. The couple’s lawyers have filed an appeal for cancellation of the remand. The Oslo court will deliver its verdict on December 3.
Mr Chandrasekhar, a TCS employee, was sent to Oslo 18 months ago to handle a project. He took his wife and his two sons with him.
Mr Chandrasekhar’s nephew V. Shailendra said that Sai Sriram was reprimanded by his parents for wetting his pants and bringing toys home from school. “He refused to come home and told the school authorities that his parents threatened to send him to India. The school informed the child welfare agency and police. The child welfare agency kept the boy in foster care for six weeks and grilled him about all the details. They investigated any possible domestic violence. The couple was cleared in the case and was given the possession of the child. They thought that no case was filed against them.”
Anupama came back to India in June along with the kids. After 15 days her husband also returned, but later went back for work where he was served with a notice to appear in court along with his wife. The couple was later arrested.
Mr Veerabhadra Rao said that now, cops are harping on the scar. “Actually, he sustained the scar long back in India accidentally while playing,” he said.
An official source said during the in camera court proceedings, the parents produced a medical certificate confirming that the boy was hyperactive from Hyderabad-based doctors. An eyewitness, who was a neighbour from Hyderabad, also came and testified to the positive conduct of the parents. The defence lawyers made the point that if the parents are made to stay longer in Norway, their kids will suffer. But the court did not accept this plea.
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