Tamil Nadu health department has issued a notice to a popular Tamil YouTuber and food vlogger, Irfan, for revealing the gender of his unborn child in a video he posted on his social media channel, officials said.
The gender reveal party, which was organised by the soon-to-be father has led to legal action against him for violating the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC-PNDT) Act.
The State Enforcement Officer and Director of Medical and Rural Health Services issued a notice to Irfan for breaching the Act, which prohibits the determination and disclosure of an unborn baby’s gender in India.
The video in question, posted on May 18, shows the vlogger and his wife undergoing a sex determination test at a hospital in Dubai. The video documents their visit to the hospital on May 2 and later shows them hosting a 'gender reveal' party in Chennai. Irfan, mentions in the video that while sex determination tests are illegal in India, they are permitted in many other countries.
The gender reveal party, along with their Dubai trip, was documented in vlogs on his YouTube channel, which boasts 4.28 million subscribers.
The gender reveal video alone attracted over 2 million views, while the Dubai trip vlog garnered approximately 1.1 million views.
In the video, Irfan openly expressed his desire for a daughter and shared his overwhelming joy upon discovering the baby’s gender.
The health department has directed the cybercrime authorities to take down the controversial video from YouTube. It has also sought clarification from Irfan and recommended police action against him.
Revealing the gender of an unborn child is illegal in India due to the PC-PNDT Act, aimed at preventing gender-based abortions and ensuring the safety and rights of unborn children.
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