Shah Rukh Khan investigated over reports of baby sex determination test

Health officials in Mumbai are investigating reports that actor Khan has found out the sex of a child he is having through a surrogate mother. Sex determination tests are banned in India to stop the pShow more

The Indian media have reported that Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri are having a third child, through a surrogate mother, two years after Aamir Khan and his wife Kiran had a baby boy in the same way.

The reports that Khan is having a baby boy – so far unconfirmed by the Khans – has triggered a fuss over the sensitive issue of sex determination.

The Indian Radiological and Imaging Association asked Mumbai health officials to investigate the media reports. The officials visited the Khan residence on Monday to ask how they knew the sex of the foetus that the surrogate mother is carrying without a sex determination test on the unborn baby. Such tests are illegal in India, but widely flouted.

“I don’t understand why, but the officials were told by Khan’s secretary to send an e-mail and they just came back. They don’t do that with other people. We have to treat them the same way as anyone else if we are serious about protecting the girl child and following the law of the land,” said Dr Jignesh Thakkar, coordinator of the Association.

Varsha Deshpande, an activist who has fought against sex determination tests since 2005,  has claimed that the Khans are being treated by the same doctor hired by Aamir Khan. On Sunday, Deshpande sent a legal notice to the Khans.

“I will give them five days to give an answer. If they don’t, I and other women’s groups will go their house and demonstrate against what they have done. If they know the sex of the baby, someone has conducted an ultra sound to find out. We cannot allow that,” she said.

Khan and Gauri have a son Aryan and a daughter Suhana.

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