Bengaluru: Pvt hospital accused of carrying out sex determination tests, illegal abortions; Case booked

Health officials suspect that abortions have been conducted at the hospital without the requisite licence mandated by the MTP Act

Bengaluru: The health officials in Bengaluru rural raided private Aasare hospital in Nelamangala for allegedly carrying out sex determination tests and illegal abortions.

Health officials said, despite strict prohibition, sex determination tests was carried out at the hospital. (HT)

“Despite strict prohibition on sex determination and embryo killing, Aasare hospital run by Dr. Ravi Kumar, has been clandestinely carrying out these procedures,” said district health officer (DHO), Dr. Sunil Kumar.

Health officials suspect that abortions have been conducted at the hospital without the requisite licence mandated by the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, and crucial scanning reports have been omitted. Operations have allegedly taken place in unlicenced areas with inadequate records maintained, further compounding the gravity of the violations.

“Acting on a tip-off, the health and family welfare department raided the hospital and found irregularities in maintaining the records. We found the hospital did not maintain the records and suspect the doctors of feticide,” added the DHO.

The health officials then filed a police complaint against the hospital authorities.

“We have registered a case against Aasare hospital owner Dr. Ravi Kumar under sections 312 (causing miscarriage), 313 (causing miscarriage without woman’s consent), 315 (act done with intent to prevent child being Born alive or to cause it to die after birth), and 316 (causing death of quick unborn child by act amounting to culpable homicide) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC),” said N Rakesh, the inspector at Nelamangala town police station.

On October 15, 2023, the Bengaluru police busted a gang that allegedly committed multiple feticides in a farmhouse in Mandya for the past three years. The police arrested nine people, including two doctors from the farmhouse. Police suspect the gang carried out more than 300 illegal female feticides and nearly 900 sex determination tests over the period.

Following the incident, the Bengaluru health officials became vigilant and started conducting random checks on hospitals and diagnostic centres, said the DHO.