BMC seals two sonography machines at Sakinaka

The civic body on Monday sealed two sonography machines, one each at JP Hospital and a private clinic in Sakinaka, for allegedly being misused to conduct sex determination tests.

The civic body on Monday sealed two sonography machines, one each at JP Hospital and a private clinic in Sakinaka, for allegedly being misused to conduct sex determination tests.

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The machines were sealed after activists from Lek Ladki Abhiyaan, an NGO, conducted a sting operation on Dr Ivan Rocha, who told a pregnant woman that she was carrying a female foetus and offered to abort it.

“Two sonography machines have been sealed,” said Sanjay Funde, L ward officer, BMC. “After disclosing the sex of the child, the doctor offered to abort it on Monday at a civic-run hospital in Kurla where he works as a honorary doctor,” said Varsha Deshpande, founder of the NGO.

The activist contacted the doctor on the phone and took an appointment for Friday. The doctor conducted the sonography at 7 pm when the woman visited the doctor with an activist.

Dr Rocha allegedly charged Rs6,000 for the service and then gave a concession of Rs 2,000.