E-Paper
Three Arrested in Mandya for Prenatal gender determination
The illegal practice of female fetus detection and abortion, which sparked widespread outrage in Mandya district earlier this year, has resurfaced, this time involving a farmhouse in Mavinakere village, Nagamangala taluk. This follows the high-profile case in May where similar activities were uncovered at the Pandavapura Government Health Quarters, raising concerns across Karnataka.
The illegal practice of female fetus detection and abortion, which sparked widespread outrage in Mandya district earlier this year, has resurfaced, this time involving a farmhouse in Mavinakere village, Nagamangala taluk. This follows the high-profile case in May where similar activities were uncovered at the Pandavapura Government Health Quarters, raising concerns across Karnataka. Despite previous crackdowns, it appears the illegal practice has persisted, now moving to more covert locations.
Late on Thursday night, a raid led by District Health Officer (DHO) Dr. Mohan and his team uncovered illegal activities at a farmhouse in Mavinakere. During the operation, officials discovered an abortion kit and a scanning machine used for detecting and aborting female fetuses. A pregnant woman from Hassan district, who had been brought to the farmhouse for fetal gender detection, was also found at the scene. Authorities revealed that this was her third pregnancy, and she had come to abort a female fetus.
Police have arrested three individuals in connection with the case: Manohar (42), the husband of the pregnant woman; Nagamani (38), a housekeeper involved in the operation; and Dhananjaya (62), the owner of the farmhouse. However, the main accused, Abhishek, who was conducting the illegal scans, managed to escape and is currently on the run. Authorities have launched a manhunt to apprehend him.
According to DHO Dr. Mohan, “Acting on specific information about illegal sex determination and abortion, we, along with the police, raided the farmhouse at around midnight.” He added that Abhishek, who was working as an assistant under a radiologist at a private clinic, was conducting the sex determination tests at the farmhouse. Nagamani, a housekeeper at a private nursing home, was aiding the illegal activities.
Bellur police sub-inspector Ravi Kumar confirmed the arrests, stating, “We arrested the accused on the spot and have booked them under relevant sections, including BNS Section 91 (Act done with intent to prevent a child from being born alive or to cause death after birth) and the KPME Act. The investigation is ongoing to nab the prime accused, Abhishek.”
This incident marks yet another chapter in Mandya district’s ongoing struggle with illegal sex determination practices. Earlier this year, the detection and termination of female fetuses at an almshouse and health quarters in the district created a massive uproar. So far, the police have arrested 11 individuals and investigation has revealed that the accused ran the racket with systematic precision and had carried out over 250 abortions in Mandya.
