Doctor, agent held for prenatal sex test racket in south Delhi hospital

Dr Manoj K Ahuja, a radiologist, and Kavita were caught red-handed on Wednesday at Jeewan Hospital Gate Number- 2 in Sunlight Colony area by a joint team of pre-conception pre-natal diagnostic technique (PCPNDT) cell of Haryana and Delhi’s health departments, said police.

A 60-year-old doctor and a 44-year-old woman accomplice were arrested from a south Delhi hospital for allegedly running a prenatal sex determination racket, police said on Thursday.

A police officer said that once the identity of the doctor and the hospital where the illegal procedure was being practised were established, the team contacted their counterparts in southeast Delhi. (Getty Images / Representative Image)

Dr Manoj K Ahuja, a radiologist, and Kavita were caught red-handed on Wednesday at Jeewan Hospital Gate Number- 2 in Sunlight Colony area by a joint team of pre-conception pre-natal diagnostic technique (PCPNDT) cell of Haryana and Delhi’s health departments, said police.

“Three ultrasound machines, Rs12,000 that the doctor took from a decoy customer, USD 76,101; 50 pounds, ₹20.79 lakh, ₹18,500 in old Indian currency notes and an envelope containing Rs1.32 lakh were seized from the ultrasound room of the hospital. Kavita was also caught in possession of ₹14,000 that she had taken from the decoy customer. Ahuja is a visiting doctor at the hospital for the past 12 years. Kavita was his agent,” said Chinmoy Biswal, deputy commissioner of police (southeast).

Jeewan Hospital Gate No-2 authorities refused to comment on the raid and the arrest.

“We don’t want to say anything,” said Neelam who identified herself as part of the hospital’s administration, when HT contacted the hospital over phone.

The officer said that once the identity of the doctor and the hospital where the illegal procedure was being practised were established, the team contacted their counterparts in southeast Delhi.

“A pregnant woman from Haryana’s Sonepat was sent to Kavita as a decoy with ₹30,000 marked banknotes. Kavita took ₹14,000 from her and brought her to Jeewan Hospital Gate No-2 to determine the sex of the child. Dr Ahuja agreed to perform the test and received ₹12,000 from the decoy customer, “said the SDM.

The PNDT teams raided the ultrasound room while the doctor was allegedly conducting the sex determination test of the decoy customer.

“The marked banknotes were seized from the doctor as well as Kavita. We found three bags from which Indian as well as foreign currency notes were seized. No record of the decoy customer’s admission in the hospital was found,” the SDM added.

DCP Biswal said a case under the PNDT Act was registered on the SDM’s complaint and the two were arrested. A native of Chandigarh, Ahuja completed his MD from Patiala University in 1985 and came to Delhi a year later.

“Ahuja has been living alone at his home in Pamposh Enclave, Greater Kailash. He is a visiting doctor at Jeewan and two other hospitals in south Delhi,” said Biswal.

Kavita’s interrogation, the DCP said, revealed that she learnt about Ahuja’s illegal practices while working as a help at a child care clinic at Kanjhawala. She approached the doctor four months ago and has provided 3-4 clients since then.

“She charged ₹30,000 from each client and used to give ₹12,000 to the doctor,” he added.