TN begins probe into Nayanthara surrogacy issue

Tamil Nadu government has constituted a three-member committee to look into the legalities of superstar Nayanthara and her husband Vignesh Shivan, who got married at a gala ceremony in June this year, conceiving through surrogacy.

Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian said the committee headed by a joint director will conduct an inquiry on whether the star couple followed rules while opting for surrogacy.

He said the committee from the Directorate of Medical Services (DMS) will visit the hospital where the surrogate was admitted and received treatment to check whether all records are in line with the established rules and procedures.

“If needed, the committee will seek clarifications from the couple. But for now, the inquiry has begun, and we have asked the committee to submit a report in a week’s time,” Subramanian said. The inquiry was necessitated after social media was abuzz with speculation that the couple didn’t follow the prescribed rules while opting for surrogacy.

Commercial surrogacy was banned in India after the Parliament passed The Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021 in December 2021 which came into effect on January 25, 2022. Only ‘altruistic surrogacy’ is now allowed, which means the carrying mother should not receive any monetary assistance except the medical expenses.

The controversy began on Sunday after Nayantara, and Shivan announced the birth of their twin baby boys named Uyir (life) and Ulagam (world).

Shivan had on October 9 posted a picture on his Twitter and Instagram accounts with a caption that read, “Nayan & Me have become Amma & Appa (father & mother). We are blessed with twin baby boys. All our prayers, our ancestors’ blessings combined with all the good manifestations made, have come together in the form of two blessed babies for us. Need all your blessings for our Uyir & Ulagam.”

The internet was abuzz with Shivan’s post with many raising questions whether the couple followed the rules as commercial surrogacy is banned in India since December 2021.

However, some pointed out that Nayantara or Shivan as couples or the leading actress in her individual capacity might have opted for surrogacy. The couple are yet to come out with a statement on whether they conceived babies through surrogacy.