Surrogate mother flees to Dindigul

COIMBATORE: The surrogacy case became more complicated on Thursday as the surrogate mother and her family were reportedly threatened and forced to leave the city after they raised allegations against senior police officials for their involvement in the incident. Surrogate mother C Rajeswaery and her husband Sivakumar left for Dindigul on Thursday night.

"A group of people came to our residence in Sulur and threatened us if we did not leave the city within an hour. We had no other option as our landlord also insisted that we vacate the house immediately," said Sivakumar. Meanwhile, the city police have decided to drop further action against the couple based on legal advice from prosecution lawyers. The police claimed that further action cannot be initiated against the couple as there is no evidence to prove the charges levelled under Section 406, 384 and 511 of the Indian Penal Code against the surrogate mother by the fertility centre in the city.

"No further action against them will be taken due to lack of evidence. We had filed the FIR after we received the complaint as per protocol and now after conducting an investigation, we have found that the charges cannot be substantiated with ample proof," said T H Ganesan, inspector, Race Course Police Station. Incidentally, both these developments occurred within a few hours after the couple went public with their plight and also released excerpts of recorded telephone conversations involving senior police officials on Thursday.

"There will no further police action against the couple based on the complaint filed by hospital authorities. We are now planning to proceed legally against the hospital," said M V Vijayaragavan, legal counsel for Rajeswary and Sivakumar.

The authorities at Iswarya fertility centre in the city had accused Rajeswary and her husband of blackmail and other serious crimes after Rajeswary reportedly terminated a surrogacy contract. They claimed that she terminated the agreement made with the biological parents of the surrogate baby and resorted to blackmail tactics against the centre. Hospital authorities also claimed that she left their facility when she was three months pregnant.source