HC notice to Shahrukh, BMC in sex determination case

Varsha Deshpande has filed a complaint in the magistrate's court under PCPNDT Act

The Bombay High Court has issued notices to Shahrukh Khan and his wife Gauri on a petition filed by a social activist, challenging a magistrate's order refusing her application for documents pertaining to the couple's child born through surrogacy.

Varsha Deshpande has filed a complaint in the magistrate's court seeking action against Shahrukh, Gauri and city-based Jaslok Hospital under the Pre-conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act (PCPNDT).

She has alleged that Khans had conducted a sex determination test before their third child, AbRam, was born through surrogacy.

Deshpande has sought documents pertaining to the surrogacy process and documents collected by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in its inquiry into the matter.

The civic body initiated inquiry following Deshpande's allegations and gave a clean chit to Shahrukh and his wife, saying no offence under the PCPNDT Act had been committed.

"The magistrate rejected our application seeking production and verification of documents following which we approached the High Court," Deshpande's lawyer, advocate Uday Warunjikar said.

Justice R P Sondurbaldota on Friday issued notices to Shahrukh, Gauri, Jaslok Hospital, and the civic body, and posted the matter for hearing on January 10.