Popular Tamil YouTuber and food vlogger Irfan has been issued a legal notice by the Tamil Nadu health department for revealing the gender of his unborn child in a video posted on his social media channel.
The video, which has since been taken down, documented Irfan and his wife undergoing a sex determination test at a hospital in Dubai and subsequently hosting a "gender reveal" party in Chennai. Sex determination tests are illegal in India under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC-PNDT) Act, which aims to prevent gender-based abortions.
The health department has directed cybercrime authorities to remove the video from YouTube and has recommended police action against Irfan. Irfan has also been asked to clarify his actions.
"The YouTuber Irfan revealed to the audience during a family function that he found out the gender of his wife's unborn child (girl) after a scan during his visit to Dubai," the health department release said.
"Ascertaining and announcing the gender of a child in India is prohibited under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) ACT 1994. Such an action will lead to a decline of the female birth rate besides leading to crimes against women," the release added.
Hence, a memo has been issued to Irfan for violating the provisions of the said Act. Also, a letter was sent to the Cyber Crime Division asking them to immediately remove the video uploaded by Irfan from social media, it said.
The video, posted on May 18, gets over 2 million views and documented Irfan's desire for a daughter and his subsequent joy upon learning the baby's gender. The entire Dubai trip, including the hospital visit, was vlogged on Irfan's channel, which boasts 4.28 million subscribers. A separate vlog documenting the trip received over 1.1 million views.
Meanwhile, Irfan reportedly apologized to the medical team set up for the investigation via WhatsApp and over the phone. He also mentioned that he will soon post an apology video on his YouTube channel.