Authorities have issued showcause notice to the doctor couple, arrested in the 'surgery issue', in connection with alleged violations of the Pre-natal Diagnostic Test Act 1994 at the family's scanning centre in Manapparai near Tiruchirapalli, District Collector Ashish Vachchani said on Wednesday.

On the basis of the RDO-led investigation team's report, the Joint Director, Health Services, Tamil Nadu government, Dr Ezhilarasi Fakruddin, issued the notice to Dr Murugesan and Dr Gandhimathy, parents of 15-year-old Dhileepan Raj who reportedly performed a caesarean section at the family-run hospital.

The notice sought clarification on 'irregularities' in the records of the scanning centre of the Mathi Maternity and Surgical hospital, the collector told reporters.

If the doctor-couple, who were arrested on Monday, fail to give proper clarification within a stipulated time, orders would be issued for the closure of the scanning centre.

Though the hospital has not yet been sealed, enquiries reveal that some patients are being shifted to the nearby government hospital as a prelude to sealing of the hospital.

Special police teams have been formed to trace the 15-year-old boy.