E-Paper
Half of sex determination violators in Ludhiana are repeat offenders: Data
The health department seized 13 unregistered ultrasound machines and busted two medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) centres operating without proper authorisation since May 2020
Half of those apprehended in illegal sex determination in Ludhiana and its adjacent areas in the last over three years are repeat offenders, according to data shared by the district health department.
The health department seized 13 unregistered ultrasound machines and busted two medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) centres operating without proper authorisation since May 2020.
Police had filed 16 different cases during the period under the PNDT Act. Fourteen people were booked in the cases, out of which seven are repeat offenders, according to the data.
The data revealed that a significant 50% of those involved in these practices are repeat offenders, having either served previous sentences or currently out on bail.
Ludhiana civil surgeon Dr. Jasbir Singh Aulakh termed the figures as the tip of the iceberg.
“The nexus of such violators and illegal practitioners stretches beyond the geographical boundaries of the country. These unregistered ultrasound machines, widely used for sex determination, are sourced from neighbouring countries. These offenders have such strong networks that they easily acquire new machines within days of their previous ones being confiscated,” Dr Aulakh said.
“In July 2023, I wrote to higher authorities, urging stern and timely investigations in such cases, especially when the accused are involved in multiple offenses of the same nature. Curbing such activities demands stronger bail conditions and prolonged punishment sentences,” he said.
A medical practitioner, who was arrested on January 22 for running an illegal scan centre in Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar at Mundian Kalan, Ludhiana, had previously been caught by the same team in collaboration with the Gurdaspur team in May, 2020. On that occasion, a machine was seized as well.
In May, 2023, a medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) centre was exposed, with the accused, who had a history of repeated offenses, was caught on that occasion caught for the second time on the same grounds.
In April 2023, an illegally operational ultrasound machine was discovered in Mangali Nichi village from an unregistered location, employed for sex determination. The individual behind this centre was arrested for the third time in 2023 for the same offense. Earlier, he was caught in June 2020 running an illegal scanning centre in Pratap Chowk, Ludhiana, and before that in 2015 for operating an illegal scanning centre from an unregistered place.
In September 2023, a registered scanning centre was raided and an illicit ultrasound machine utilised for sex determination was recovered. This scanning center had a history of violating PNDT guidelines in previous months.
In December 2021, Ludhiana and Ambala teams recovered a machine used for illegal purposes from a private hospital in Ludhiana. Despite two previous PNDT violations, the scanning centre continues to operate in Ludhiana’s Jagera village after the accused managed to secure stay orders on the sealing of the centre from the high court of Punjab and Haryana.
In December 2020, the Ludhiana team raided Bahga Hospital in Jalandhar, uncovering an ultrasound machine being used for illegal purposes. According to officials, who conducted the raid, this hospital also had a history of multiple violations leading to the closure of the registered scanning center by multiple teams in the past.
