Maharashtra medical council mulls suo motu action against former IMA state chief after arrest in PC PNDT case
Doctor
Pune: The Maharashtra Medical Council is considering taking suo motu action against the former President of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Maharashtra, who was recently arrested for allegedly performing illegal abortions, the Indian Express has reported.
Confirmation in this regard has been given by the Maharashtra Medical Council Administrator, Dr. Vinky Rughwani, who talked about the Council's plans to take suo motu action.
Also Read: Former IMA Maharashtra chief arrested for alleged PC PNDT violations
"The file has not been received from the appropriate authorities implementing the PCPNDT (Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques) Act yet. If there are some serious issues, then MMC can take suo motu action. We are planning to do so in this particular case," Dr. Rughwani told the Indian Express on Sunday.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that police recently busted an illegal sex determination racket and arrested the former IMA Maharashtra Chief, for his alleged involvement in it.
The arrest follows a probe into a racket that allegedly spans Ahilyanagar and Pune, involving a network of agents and doctors violating the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act. The accused doctor was arrested in Rahata on Wednesday and has been remanded in police custody. Reportedly, a probe revealed that he allegedly performed illegal abortions on several women.
So far, the police have arrested 12 individuals in this connection. The list includes two doctors, three agents, and relatives of the women, who were brought in for illegal sex determination tests and abortions.
The accused doctor had been elected as IMA Maharshtra President in 2022-2023 and he reportedly has a 50-bed hospital in Shrirampur in Ahilyanagar.
On Saturday, IMA Maharashtra decided to take action against the concerned doctor by suspending his membership. Confirming this, Dr. Kulkarni said, "Strict action as per the rules will be taken against anyone whose actions bring disrepute to the organisation. We have decided to suspend his membership."
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that in a recent release, IMA Maharashtra clarified its stand on the matter and mentioned that it does not support or protect any member of office-bearer involved in violations of the PCPNDT Act.
While stating that the police and the court will carry out the legal process against the accused doctor based on available evidence, the association also added that it has notified the IMA Headquarters of the matter for necessary action.
The association mentioned how it has always worked shoulder to shoulder with the Maharashtra Public Health Department for effective implementation of the PCPNDT Act and has actively participated in awareness campaigns such as “Beti Bachao", and assured that this commitment will continue in the future as well.
