CHENNAI, OCT 26
The Tamil Nadu health department on Wednesday gave clean chit to South ‘Lady Superstar’ Nayanthara and her filmmaker-husband Vignesh Shivan stating that they did not violate any surrogacy rules.
In its report, the Tamil Nadu government said that the surrogate mother was of eligible age. It added that the woman already has a child.
On October 9, Nayanthara and Vignesh Shivan announced the arrival of the baby boys via surrogacy. They shared the happy news via a post on Instagram where they were seen kissing four tiny feet. Soon after the announcement, a controversy kicked in with many claiming that the couple has broken Indian surrogacy norms, which led to the setup of an inquiry.
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The Tamil Nadu health department set up a panel to inquire into the surrogacy issue, on the orders of health minister Ma Subramanian. Headed by two pediatric doctors, the panel, on Wednesday, submitted it report saying that the surrogacy law was not violated by Nayanthara and Vignesh Shivan.
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According to the statement issued by the state health department, Nayanthara and Vignesh Shivan got married legally on March 11, 2016, adding that the due process and guidelines were duly followed by them.
The report of the inquiry committee further said that Nayanthara and Vignesh Shivan had submitted all the reports and documents need, and followed the ICMR guidelines. As per reports, the woman who gave birth to the couple’s two babies, is married with a child, as needed by the surrogacy law.
Meanwhile, the investigating panel has sent a notice to the hospital for not following due guidelines. According to reports, the panel found that the hospital did not keep proper records of the treatment given to the couple and the medical condition of the surrogate mother, as per the ICMR guidelines.
Therefore, a notice has been sent by the health department to the hospital seeking an explanation on why they should not be temporarily closed for not maintaining the documents. Nayanthara and Vignesh Sivan got married at a luxurious resort in Mahabalipuram on June 9, 2022. Their twin babies arrived just four months after their marriage.
Surrogacy laws were amended in January to ensure it is not commercially exploited. There was a controversy in June this year about a minor being forced to donate oocytes, after which the state government brought in more stringent guidelines.
There was wide-ranging speculation that Nayanthara and her husband may have conceived the babies before the law was amended.
Giving a clean chit to the couple, the Tamil Nadu health department said, “The hospital did not maintain the oocytes registry, the couple’s treatment details and the surrogate mother’s health condition.”
The hospital now faces action for alleged violation of the Indian Medical Council’s guidelines.
The couple got married this June after dating for around five years. Nayanthara is set to make her Hindi film debut with Atlee’s “Jawan”, which stars Shah Rukh Khan.
Surrogacy has been a talking point since actor Shah Rukh Khan announced the birth of his youngest, AbRam. The third child of the actor and his wife Gauri Khan, AbRam was born in May 2013 through surrogacy, according to media reports.
In March 2017, filmmaker Karan Johar announced that he had become a father to twins – a boy and a girl – through surrogacy.
