E-Paper
Illegal sex determination racket busted in Punjab’s Sunam; Four held
A sex determination racket was exposed at Radha Hospital in Sunam, with four individuals, including the hospital manager, being apprehended. The raid revealed illegal embryo testing and termination of pregnancies, with a known figure in the illicit business of embryo testing among those arrested. The accused were charged ?32,000 for the procedure, and a portable ultrasound machine, cash, and instruments were recovered. A case under the PC PNDT act has been registered.
The health department raided Radha Hospital in Sunam, exposing a sex determination racket, officials said. Four persons including Malkit Singh, the manager of Radha Hospital, have been apprehended by the authorities, they said.
It was revealed that they conducted fetal tests inside moving vehicles, displaying a complete disregard of laid guidelines. Acting on credible information, the officials of Sangrur-Barnala health department, along with police, conducted a raid on Radha Hospital, revealing illegal embryo testing and the termination of pregnancies.
Malkit Singh, a known figure with a long history of running illicit businesses like embryo testing, was among those arrested. He has been facing such ten cases in Haryana. Employing undercover agents who posed as prospective patients seeking fetal sex tests, the team approached Malkiat. They were charged ₹32,000 rupees for the procedure. Dr Jasvir Aulakh, the civil surgeon of Barnala said Malkiat has been arrested along with three other individuals.
Divulging the details here today, director Health Services (FW) Dr Ravinder Pal Kaur said that civil surgeons of Barnala and Sangrur formed a joint team of the health department to conduct the raid. She said that there was a search for this accused person in the surrounding states as well after directions of health and family welfare minister Dr Balbir Singh.
In this raid a portable ultrasound machine, ₹35,000 paid to the accused for sex test were also recovered. Moreover, another amount of ₹ 2.49 lakh and instruments and medicines used for carrying out abortions were also recovered on the spot. Apart from arresting the kingpin, the police team accompanying the raiding health team also arrested a woman who was illegally performing abortions at her home. A case under PC PNDT act has also been registered against the accused.
