Jodhpur Doctor, two agents arrested for allegedly violating PCPNDT Act

Jaipur: A doctor has been arrested in Jodhpur district for allegedly performing sonography in an attempt to determine the sex of a foetus during a decoy operation conducted by the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) cell.  

The PCPNDT cell also arrested two agents working with the doctor and seized an illegal portable sonography machine, and two vehicles, and recovered Rs 70,000 from them.

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As per a media report in the Times of India, the amount of Rs 70000 was given to the doctor for conducting a sonography of a pregnant woman. The pregnant woman was a decoy in the operation, with whose help the illegal practice came to light, and the arrests took place. 

The National Health Mission (NHM) state mission director Jitendra Soni said that after they received information about a gang that is actively involved in sex determination and killing of infants identified as female born, they conducted a decoy operation in Jodhpur to catch the accused. The operation was led by a team of PCPNDT cell under police inspector Jitendra Gangwani who was sent to Jodhpur. 

The pregnant woman was part of the team, who acted as a decoy. According to the information given by the informer to the PCPNDT cell, a person identified as Bhanwar Lal Jangid, who is a resident of Dhoriyon Ki Dhani near Paal Balaji in Jodhpur is an agent of a doctor involved in the sex determination of unborn babies.

The pregnant woman got in touch with the agent, Jangid, and told him about wanting to know the sex of the foetus. The agent in return demanded an amount of Rs 70000 for conducting the test. 

Detailing the operation, the PCPNDT project director Suresh Yadav said that the agent took the woman on a two-wheeler to the rented residence of Ashok Prajapati at Khene Ka Kuan. After that, the woman signaled the PCPNDT team. Following that, inspector Gangwani raided the house of the 45-year-old doctor, who is a resident of Kamla Nehru Nagar, Jodhpur, and they found a portable sonography machine, which is illegal. The PCPNDT cell officials said that around four cases have been filed against the doctor, reports the TOI. 

The accused was formerly posted as the block chief medical officer, and now he has been suspended. 

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