Two doctors arrested in Gurgaon for conducting illegal abortions

The health team that raided Apple Hospital — the Rajiv Nagar clinic — identified the accused as Vijay Kumar Sharma and Sonam Sharma. Rs 10,000 was also recovered from them

Haryana health department officials conducted a raid at a private clinic in Rajiv Nagar on Tuesday and nabbed two persons for allegedly conducting illegal abortions.

The officials identified the accused as Dr Vijay Kumar Sharma, the doctor who runs the private clinic — Apple Hospital, and Dr Sonam Sharma. A sum of Rs10,000 was also recovered from them.

The team that conducted the raid included Dr Neelam Thapar, deputy civil surgeon, Dr Ritu Nandal, gynaecologist, Amandeep Chauhan, drug controls officer and Shyam Sunder, the secretary of district Red Cross Society.

Sunder said they conducted the raid based on a tip-off. A patient, who had allegedly undergone an abortion on Monday, was also held at the clinic. Officials said that she was four months pregnant before she allegedly underwent the abortion.

The team seized several documents and registers from the clinic, which revealed that many patients had undergone illegal abortions at the clinic. The team also found several foetuses while assessing the biomedical waste in the clinic.

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Sunder said, “The accused were asked to present relevant documentation under Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, but they failed to do so and pleaded guilty to their crime. Their statements have been recorded and the two are lodged in police custody.”

An ultrasound machine, four registers and bio-waste were seized by the team.

A case was registered against the accused under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994; Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 and sections of the Indian Penal Code.

Health department officials have been conducting regular raids to check illegal medical and testing centres in the city. Last year, along with the Gurgaon police, they conducted a raid at a private clinic in Sector 45 and nabbed two people for allegedly conducting illegal sex determination tests. In January, 27 people were rescued from an illegal rehabilitation centre following a raid by the health department.