In a major setback to the efforts of the Indian government, the parents involved in the Norway custody row have now filed for separation, and the father is even considering staying back in the country.
Anurup Bhattacharya filed for separation from wife Sagarika and is demanding custody of Abhigyan (3) and Aishwarya (1) - two children who have been the centre of a legal wrangle between India and Norway.
In an equally shocking twist, the uncle - who was supposed to get custody of the children - does not want to be the legal guardian anymore.
Anurup has also alleged that he was being repeatedly beaten by his wife and it has been learnt that Sagarika may have even threatened to sue the uncle Arunabhash Bhattacharya, if he were to take the children's custody and bring them to India.
The Indian government has been left red-faced after an unprecedented intervention into the row in Norway.
Anurup told a newspaper on Tuesday his wife had a ‘psychological problem’.
The couple previously insisted that their children were taken in May last year because of a cultural bias against Indians and they enlisted the foreign ministry in their battle.
Norwegian officials said that confidentiality prevented them from discussing the case, but they denied reports in the Indian media that the children, aged three and one, had been removed for reasons such as eating with their hands.
"It was not just cultural bias that prompted the CWS (child welfare services) to act. My wife has a serious psychological problem," Anurup, who is now seeking custody of the children, said.