Illegal sex determination racket busted in Haryana-UP joint operation; doctor among 13 booked

Amroha: A joint operation by Haryana and Uttar Pradesh police has exposed an alleged illegal sex-determination racket operating across districts between Sonipat and Amroha, leading to a case being registered against 13 people, including a doctor from Haryana.  

According to the news reports, the case came to light after Haryana Police received a tip-off about a clinic in Sonipat allegedly facilitating illegal prenatal sex-determination tests for pregnant women from nearby districts, including Rohtak and Jhajjar. Acting on the information, a coordinated operation was launched with Amroha Police, leading to the exposure of what investigators describe as a cross-state network.   

Also Read:Faridabad doctor among 4 booked in illegal sex determination racket

Police said the network allegedly transported pregnant women from Haryana to Uttar Pradesh to avoid detection and carried out illegal prenatal sex-determination tests for Rs 35,000 per procedure.   

Speaking to The Indian Express, Amroha Superintendent of Police, Lakhan Singh Yadav, said the operation was carried out on information shared by Haryana authorities. “A raid was conducted following the tip-off, leading to the exposure of the racket. The full extent of the operation will become clearer after a thorough investigation,” he said. 

Hasanpur Station House Officer Rajesh Kumar Tiwari said six people were initially detained, including three pregnant women. As the offences were bailable, the women were later released after notices were served for further investigation. Police confirmed that a total of 13 individuals have been booked in the case.

How the operation unfolded

According to investigators, the probe began last week when Haryana Police received specific information about illegal activity at a Sonipat clinic. To verify the claims, police used a pregnant woman as a decoy, who approached the clinic on May 26.

There she reportedly met one of the suspects and expressed interest in undergoing a sex-determination test. She was told the procedure would cost Rs 35,000. After she agreed, she was instructed to bring the money to a designated junction in Sonipat the next day.

On Wednesday, police teams monitored the movement of suspects as the decoy reached the meeting point. A man allegedly arrived and directed her to follow his vehicle. During the operation, she was joined by three other pregnant women inside the car, police said.

The vehicle later stopped at a roadside dhaba, where another accused allegedly took over the coordination. Investigators said he transported two of the women to another location and later returned them after the alleged procedure, before taking the decoy and another woman to a house in Amroha suspected to be a covert testing site.

A joint police team tracked the suspects to a house in Satera village, where they intercepted an individual allegedly operating a portable ultrasound machine. Officials said the suspect attempted to flee and abandon the equipment but was caught on the spot.

Investigators further revealed that the premises belonged to an anganwadi worker, whose role in the alleged racket is under investigation. Police also said the ultrasound machine was damaged during the arrest attempt, and efforts are underway to trace how it was procured, noting that such equipment can only be legally sold to authorised medical practitioners or registered diagnostic centres.

Based on a complaint filed by a medical officer posted in a community health centre in Amroha, a case has been registered at Hasanpur police station under BNS sections 318 (cheating), 319 (cheating by personation) and sections of the Pre-conception & Pre-Natal Diagnostics Techniques (PC & PNDT) Act, 1994, reports the Indian Express.

Police have outlined the suspected roles of those booked in the case as follows:

• One individual allegedly transported women across state lines
• Another allegedly facilitated movement to the testing locations
• One person allegedly operated the ultrasound machine
• Three pregnant women and their spouses allegedly came for the procedure
• A medical professional from Haryana allegedly first engaged with clients at a clinic
• An anganwadi worker and her husband allegedly allowed the use of the premises
• Two intermediaries allegedly connected clients with operators

Also Read:Former IMA Maharashtra President Sent to Judicial Custody in Illegal Sex Determination Racket