Newborn handed to childless couple sparks legal fight in Tamil Nadu

A legal dispute has arisen in Tamil Nadu after a newborn was allegedly handed over to a childless couple by a private fertility clinic in Chennai. The child's mother, 27‑year‑old daily laborer K. Megala, filed a police complaint on October 6, stating that the couple now refuses to surrender the baby.

Megala says a doctor recommended a three‑month temporary placement of her son with the couple while she sorted out her dire financial situation. She maintains that the handover was intended as a short‑term solution, but the couple allegedly kept the infant beyond the agreed period.

Investigators are scrutinizing the clinic’s involvement, checking whether any legal paperwork formalised the transfer. Early statements from the involved parties contain discrepancies, leading police to expand their probe.

The mother’s circumstances are tragic: her husband died of natural causes in February 2025, leaving her with a four‑year‑old son and a third child on the way. She responded to an online advertisement promising free treatment at a hospital in Kolathur.

She arrived at the hospital in her seventh month of pregnancy, revealed her financial woes, and gave birth to a boy on July 29, 2025. Hospital staff initially kept the newborn in isolation and only allowed her to see the baby after ten days.

A second physician later connected her with a childless couple from Tiruvottiyur, advising that they could look after the infant for three months before returning it. Megala consented, but the couple allegedly rebuffed her recent request for the child's return, leading her to seek police assistance.