A couple who aborted their baby upon discovering it was a girl after undergoing an illegal ultrasound test later demanded 60,000 yuan ($9,583) in compensation from the technician after doctors told them it was a boy.

Police in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province were called Monday night after an argument broke out at the home of the man who conducted the ultrasound, surnamed Chen, and the would-be father, surnamed Huang.

Huang told officers his wife became pregnant at the end of last year.

Seeking to have a son, the couple paid Chen a total 800 yuan to help determine the gender of their child.

Due to the large number of abortions based on gender, it is against Chinese law to determine the gender of a fetus for non-medical reasons.

However, the traditional preference for boys, compounded with the one-child policy, has resulted in a thriving black market for ultrasound exams.

Chen performed the ultrasound at his home after Spring Festival (February 19), after which he informed them it was a girl, said Huang.

He claimed that Chen confirmed the results with a follow-up ultrasound to be sure, which led the couple in their own decision to carry out the abortion.

However, the doctor who performed the operation devastated them both when he informed them the fetus was in fact male, said Huang.

The couple then confronted Chen at his home.

Chen told officers he was once a doctor and he had borrowed the equipment from his friend. Police said he claimed the test was not to determine the fetus' gender but part of a general checkup.

Police gave all parties involved a stern criticism before releasing them at the scene, and no charges were pressed, according to the report.

Yangtze Evening News