GK-1 doctor caught for sex determination test

The arrest was made during a joint raid by the Preconception Prenatal Diagnostic Techniques (PC PNDT) teams from Delhi and Hisar. Two ultrasound machines were also sealed at the hospital.

A doctor of a multispeciality hospital in Greater Kailash-1 was allegedly caught red-handed informing the a pregnant woman the sex of her child on Monday.

The woman was a decoy customer used by the Haryana government to bust sex selection rackets. (Representative image)

The arrest was made during a joint raid by the Preconception Prenatal Diagnostic Techniques (PC PNDT) teams from Delhi and Hisar. Two ultrasound machines were also sealed at the hospital.

The woman was a decoy customer used by the Haryana government to bust sex selection rackets.

“The doctor who was caught telling the sex of the baby to the woman is a repeat offender. He had been caught determining the sex of the foetus at another centre in south west Delhi. He then started working at the centre here,” said Dr Rajni Baxla, Nodal officer, PC-PNDT cell, South district.

The PC-PNDT Act was enacted in 1994 to prevent sex-selective abortions. Using ultrasound to determine and communicate to the parents the sex of the foetus is an offence under the law, which can lead to three years imprisonment and a fine of R 10,000.

The prison term may extend up to five years and a fine of R 1 lakh for repeat offences.

Delhi government too is in the process of setting up a similar informer and decoy reward scheme to urge people to help the government in taking action against doctors and centres that perform sex-determination.

Under the Delhi government scheme, an informer whose tip leads to a successful raid will be paid R 50,000 by the government. The pregnant woman posing as a customer would be paid R 1,50,000 for a successful raid. Of this, R 50,000 will be paid after the raid and the rest after testifying in court.

The pregnant woman would be paid R 50,000 even in case of an unsuccessful raid to compensate for her efforts.

The scheme had received a cabinet nod in February this year and has been launched a couple of months ago. No raids have been conducted under the scheme so far.

Action against clinics performing illegal sex determination improved Delhi’s sex ratio from 902 girls/1,000 boys in 2016 to 913 girls/1,000 boys in 2017.