UP remains den of sex-determination tests, 20 rackets busted this year

Uttar Pradesh continues to dominate pre-natal sex determination tests, with 60 per cent of the inter-state PNDT raids conducted by the health authorities of various districts in the state this year so far traced to it alone.

As per sources, a total of 33 successful raids were carried out outside Haryana this year (from January to December 18) and 20 among these were conducted in various places of UP.

“Among these, eight raids were conducted by the Gurugram health authorities in UP followed by Sonepat with seven. Rohtak carried out two raids, while one each PNDT raid was conducted by Jhajjar, Panipat and Kurukshetra this year so far. Besides UP, Rajasthan, Delhi and Punjab are among the states where inter-state sex-determination rackets were unearthed this year,” claimed the sources.

Significantly, the health authorities in Rohtak and Jhajjar conducted three successful raids in Bulandshahr, Shamli and Baghpat districts of Uttar Pradesh within a month and managed to bust sex-determination rackets there.

The latest successful raid was carried out by the Rohtak health authorities in Baghpat district on Wednesday. The health team not only seized a portable ultrasound machine used in the crime, but also nabbed five persons involved in this illegal act.

“We formed a joint team of health and police officials to conduct a raid in UP on getting a tip-off that pre-natal sex-determination test is performed there and some touts of the racket are also active in the area. We prepared a decoy customer and cracked a deal with a tout for Rs 65,000. The amount was transferred online to the bank account of another person,” said Dr Ramesh Chander, Civil Surgeon, Rohtak.

He maintained that on Wednesday, the tout first took the decoy customer to Peeragarhi (Delhi), from where they reached Ghaziabad (UP). The tout changed the car and took the decoy to a house at Sarurpur kalan village in Baghpat district where a man conducted ultrasound test of the decoy by using the portable ultrasound machine. He then informed the decoy about the gender of her unborn baby, he added.

“In the meantime, our team, with the help of local police and health authorities, conducted the raid there and nabbed five persons, including two women, on the spot. During the inquiry, the connection of a lady Ayush doctor at Rohtak with the racketeers had also been established, hence her role is being investigated,” said the Civil Surgeon.

He said the health team comprised Dr Vishvjeet Rathee (nodal officer, PNDT), Dr Vishal Chaudhary and Dr Mohit Gill (Medical officers), Dr Sanjeev Malik (SMO), Dr Vikas Saini (dental surgeon), Dr Vijay (AMO), Ranjit (MPHW), Deepak Sharma (IA), Joginder, Head Constable Rajesh Balhara and other cops.

Meanwhile, Rohtak Deputy Commissioner Dhirendra Khadgata said two successful PNDT raids within a month would prove instrumental not only in discouraging those involved in this illegal act but also improve the gender ratio of Rohtak district.