SC agrees to hear plea after couple alleges 'child swapping' at hospital

New Delhi, Sep 3 (PTI) The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a couple's plea alleging "child swapping" at a private hospital in Chhattisgarh and said the matter required consideration.

A bench of Justices Manoj Misra and Ujjal Bhuyan on September 1 issued notice to the Chhattisgarh government and others, including the director of the hospital in Raipur, seeking their responses to the petition.

"Matter requires consideration. Issue notice to the respondents, returnable in four weeks," the bench said.

The petitioners were challenging the January order of the Chhattisgarh High Court refusing to direct FIR against the doctor and the hospital's director besides investigation into a complaint.

According to the complaint, the woman gave birth to a girl child and a boy child in the hospital but she later discovered both were girls.

Following the claims, a DNA test was conducted and the results matched the petitioners with only one girl child.

The parents alleged a "clear case of child swapping" while seeking an investigation into the matter.

The counsel appearing for the petitioners said the high court failed to consider whether the complaint was properly investigated to find out if a boy and a girl were delivered by her client in the hospital.

While arguing in the high court, the state's counsel referred to a report submitted by an enquiry committee comprising six expert doctors who found all the documents of the hospital "correct" and ruled out any child theft.

The hospital's director informed the high court that authorities had thoroughly investigated the matter and submitted the report.

No criminal act was attributed to the hospital, which was stated to have handed over the children to the parents at the time of discharge.

"We do not find any good ground to interfere with the case. Petitioners are at liberty to take recourse to law, if they so advised," the high court held. PTI ABA ABA AMK AMK