Oslo, December 3
The Indian couple facing criminal charges of “gross or repeated maltreatment” of their child will be sentenced tomorrow even as the prosecution termed the case as “very serious” and justified their arrest ahead of the court verdict.

“The sentencing is tomorrow. They are facing child abuse case and are charged with gross or repeated maltreatment of their child/children by threats, violence or other wrong, under section 219,” Kurt Lir, Head of Prosecution, Oslo Police Department, told PTI.

He said, “there were burn marks and scars on the body of the child, who has also been beaten by the belt.”

Asked why the police arrested the couple -- Chandrasekhar Vallabhaneni, a software professional from Andhra Pradesh, and his wife Anupama before the sentencing, Lir said, it is feared that they will evade prosecution by returning to India. “Under three circumstances i.e if we are concerned about (tampering) of the evidence or we fear they may leave the country or they might do it again, we make arrests before the sentencing,” he said.

On whether the police department came across such cases often, he said, “Yes, it is quite often. And not only foreigners but Norwegians are also involved in such cases.” — PTI