E-Paper
Illegal sex determination of co-accused’s foetus was conducted at Satara clinic
Officials of the state health department raided the ultrasound centre Tuesday evening. They said that the ultrasound machines will be sealed and cases of violation of the PCPNDT Act will be filed against those involved in the racket
Further investigation into a recent case - wherein a doctor and two others were booked by the Jejuri police under various sections of the Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostics (PCPNDT) and Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Acts – has led the state health department to a diagnostic centre in Lonand village of Satara district found conducting illegal sex determination tests of unborn children of expecting mothers.
Officials of the state health department raided the ultrasound centre Tuesday evening. They said that the ultrasound machines will be sealed and cases of violation of the PCPNDT Act will be filed against those involved in the racket.
Last Sunday, the Jejuri police had booked Dr Sachin Ramchandra Ranavre, Deepali Thopte (mother), and a middleman named Barkade under various sections of the PCPNDT and MTP Acts and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) after it came to light that Thopte underwent illegal termination of pregnancy at Dr Ranavre’s Shriram Hospital in Nira village of Purandar tehsil the previous day. Further investigation revealed that Thopate had undergone illegal sex determination of her unborn child at the diagnostic centre in Lonand, Satara.
Dr Subhash Chavan, civil surgeon of Satara district, informed that the illegal sex determination was allegedly carried out at Ankur Clinic in Lonand run by Dr Amar Shinde. During investigation, it was found that Thopate had undergone illegal sex determination of her unborn child at Ankur Clinic on April 3. “She was nine weeks’ pregnant when she came to the clinic for determination of the sex of her foetus. We checked the register of the diagnostic centre and other documents in which we found details of the patient. The investigations are underway and we have submitted the report to the health department to take further action,” Dr Chavan said.
Dr Chavan said that they will soon record Thopate’s statement in the case. “The investigations were conducted as per the directions of the Pune civil surgeon, Dr Nagnath Yempalay. We are probing the modus operandi of the centre and the involvement of persons in the illegal act. We are also looking for past records to find how many such illegal sex determination tests were conducted in the past. The sonography machines will be sealed and the doctor will be booked for illegal sex determination as per the PCPNDT Act,” Dr Chavan said.
Dr Radhakishan Pawar, deputy director of health services, said, that the civil surgeon of Satara district has been asked to take action against the said diagnostic centre. “The ultrasound machines at the centre are likely to be sealed. Besides, a case under the PCPNDT Act will also be registered.” Dr Pawar said that further investigation to detect the modus operandi of the centre and the involvement of persons in the illegal act will be carried out.
Umesh Tavaskar, police inspector attached to Jejuri police station, said that investigation is underway and that prime suspect Dr Ranavre is absconding. “We will find him soon and once we take him into custody, we will get details about another accused, Barkade. The third accused, Thopate, has recently undergone termination of pregnancy and is recovering. Hence, we have not yet summoned her for the investigation,” Tavaskar said.
