5 Gynaecologists, 2 Ayurveda doctors held for running illegal sex determination racket in Warangal

Hyderabad: In a raid to eradicate illegal health activities in Telangana, the Warangal police recently busted an illegal sex determination and abortion racket, following which 18 people, including five gynaecologists and two Ayurveda doctors, have been arrested in connection with the case. 

The five arrested doctors include three government doctors and two private doctors. They have been booked under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act (PCPNDT) of 1994 and other relevant Acts.

Meanwhile, the police have made a request to the state government to cancel the license of the concerned accused doctors while they have been arrested and remanded in judicial custody, reports The Indian Express.

According to the police, the gang was aborting female fetuses illegally at different places in the district in collaboration with some hospitals. The gang was busted in a joint operation conducted by the Warangal police along with the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) and the health department.

During the raid, the police seized sex-determination scanning machines, Rs 73,000 in cash, and 18 cell phones from the accused.

Also read- Illegal Hospital Busted, Quack Held For Illegal Sex Determination In Gurugram

Warangal Police Commissioner A.V. Ranganath told a news conference that two suspects are still at large.

The prime accused, Vemula Praveen and his wife Sandhyarani were running a secret scanning centre at Narsampet town. 

The police also found that the prime accused was previously apprehended by the Hanamkonda police on similar charges when he was working as a technician at a scanning centre, but he continued to engage in illegal activities.

The police conducted the latest operation following complaints received from some people. A sting operation was also conducted to catch the accused red-handed.

As per the plan, a woman sub-inspector was sent to the accused on the pretext of abortion, which helped the police bust the gang.

Investigations revealed that Praveen had established connections with private liaison officers, public relations officers, hospital management, as well as various medical personnel, including registered medical practitioners (RMPs) and private medical practitioners (PMPs) in Narsampet, Nekkonda, Hanamkonda, Warangal and other places.

The illegal abortions were conducted at four private hospitals in the district.

The police found during the investigation that even Ayurveda practitioners were conducting abortions. The accused and their agents had also spread their network to the rural areas and were conducting sex determination tests using portable machines.

The Commissioner said the accused were charging Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000 for each abortion. The police believe that the gang may have conducted about 200 abortions.

Certain doctors and staff members associated with Lotus Hospital in Hanamkonda, Upender (Pardhu) Hospital in Nekkonda, and Balaji Multi-specialty Hospital in Narsampet were involved in the unlawful abortions, police said.

In a news conference meeting, a police officer informed SF, “On receiving a complaint regarding illegal sex determination tests, a thorough investigation was launched to address the issue. The inquiries revealed a troubling operation carried out by the gang that arranged abortions if the tests indicated a female foetus."

"A team consisting of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, the task force, and Health Department officials were formed to expose and combat these illicit activities. To collect evidence, we carried out decoy operations, which conclusively verified the gang’s active participation in conducting unlawful sex determination tests and abortions. The team worked tirelessly to ensure that the truth behind these abhorrent activities was exposed,” he added.

Also read- Illegal Sex Determination Racket Busted: Delhi Doctor, 2 Others Arrested