Surrogacy soup: Committee to share results within a week

CHENNAI: After the State Health Department initiated an inquiry into the details of Nayanthara and Vignesh Shivan’s surrogacy issue, the couple issued a clarification that their marriage was registered around 6 years ago and that the surrogate mother was Nayanthara’s relative.

The surrogate is supposedly a Dubai national and lives there, and this meets the one of the criteria that only altruistic surrogacy is allowed in the country.

But department officials say that details about the clarification will be given within a week and a committee, formed by the Directorate of Medical Services (DMS), is working on a report. Since the law in India requires a couple to stay married for a minimum of five years to opt for surrogacy, the couple’s marriage registration certificate has been submitted to the committee for verification.

After Vignesh Shivan shared the news of becoming parents to twins via surrogacy on Instagram, lawyers, and several others questioned the legality of their surrogacy, as they had had a lavish wedding just four months back in one of the premier hotels in the city. Photos of the bride and the groom from the ceremony had gone viral on social media.

Arguments, discussions and debates ensued on social media about the ethics and morality of surrogacy, motherhood and more.

A DMS official said: “We’re conducting an inquiry to ensure that the couple followed all legal regulations since commercial surrogacy is not allowed in the country, and no one was exploited for the same. However, the government would take at least a week’s time to issue a detailed report.”