Rohtak health team busts inter-state sex determination racket in UP
With the arrest of three persons, including a doctor and two touts, the district health authorities today unearthed an inter-state sex determination racket while conducting a raid in the Shamli district of Uttar Pradesh (UP).
The action has come at a time when Rohtak district is struggling to improve its sex ratio at birth (SRB). It had registered the birth of 880 females against 1,000 males by the end of October. Significantly, 60 villages in the district had record SRB below 800 at that time.
Dr Ramesh Chander, Civil Surgeon, said they got a tip-off that some touts involved in a pre-natal sex determination racket were active in the region. Acting swiftly, our team contacted one of the touts and cracked a deal for Rs 30,000 to get the gender of the unborn baby ascertained. Then, a decoy customer was prepared for this purpose, he added.
“The tout today called the decoy customer at Fountain Chowk in neighbouring Gohana town (Sonepat) at 9 am. The decoy customer met the tout, Meena, who took her towards Panipat. Another expectant woman joined them en route. The tout, along with two pregnant women, reached a private hospital and the ultrasound centre in Shamli district (Uttar Pradesh),” he claimed.
The Civil Surgeon said the tout got the ultrasound test of both the women done from a woman doctor at the centre. Meena then told the women about the gender of their unborn babies. Thereafter, the health team conducted the raid at the hospital and seized Rs 52,000 from the tout, he added.
“During inquiry, it is also learnt that the hospital is being operated by a BAMS degree holder woman while the doctor on whose name is the hospital being run expired four-and-half month ago. An ultrasound machine used in the crime has been sealed while the Shamli police have registered a case under the PC-PNDT act and arrested three persons, including a doctor and two touts,” said Dr Ramesh.
He said Nodal Officer (PNDT) Dr Vishvajeet Rathi, Dr Vishal Choudhary, Dr Mohit Gill, Dr Sanjeev Malik, Dr Vikas Saini, Dr Vijay, Deepak and Jogender Saini were part of the district health team which busted the racket.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Dhirendra Khadgata said all efforts were being made not only to improve gender ratio but also to check female foeticide in the district.
“Various programmes are being held in the district to make people aware about the ill effects of imbalanced gender ratio, hence we are confident about a considerable improvement in the SRB by the end of this year,” he added.
...............
