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Pune police bust sex determination racket in Baramati, two arrested
The public health department had suspended Dr Shinde in 2017 after a probe found him involved in carrying out prenatal sex determination tests
The Pune rural police have busted an alleged sex determination racket and arrested two persons, including a suspended government medical officer, who were operating from an under-construction building at Malegaon Budruk village in Baramati, officials said on Saturday.
The accused have been identified as Dr Madhukar Chandrakant Shinde, 52, of Phaltan and his aide Nitin Balasoa Ghule, 34, of Dhekalwasti in Baramati. The public health department had suspended Dr Shinde in 2017 after a probe found him involved in carrying out prenatal sex determination tests. Offences under Pre-conception and Prenatal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act (PCPNDT) have been registered against him at Yavat, Wadgaon Nimbalkar, Daund and Phaltan, said police officials.
After receiving a tip-off at around 5 pm on Friday, assistant inspector Yuvraj Ghodake of Baramati Police Station alerted the health department officials. Around 6 pm, medical superintendent Dr Mahesh Jagtap of Baramati sub-district hospital rushed to the spot along with the police and caught the duo with the portable ultrasound machine and probe. The machine was found inside the bag that one of the accused was carrying. Police probe found that an illegal sex determination test was carried out at the under-construction building at around 1.30 pm. The Baramati cops later handed over the accused to their Malegaon counterpart.
“We had received a complaint about alleged illegal sex determination carried out by the Shinde gang in Daund, Baramati and Satara in February. We had alerted the health department and the Pune rural police, and latter were monitoring the movements of the accused doctor,” said Dr Nagnath Yemapalay, district civil surgeon, Pune district.
“One more accused in the case will soon be arrested. We are investigating the possibility of involvement of more people in the racket,” said Balaji Bhange, inspector, Malegaon Police Station.
The duo was arrested based on the complaint filed by Dr Jagtap. The police on Saturday registered an offence against the duo under various sections of the PCPNDT Act 1994 and Section 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
As per officials, the case has drawn the attention of the authorities to the use of portable, unregistered sonography machines and choosing places on the fringe of districts in Maharashtra to run such illegal tests.
