In a significant crackdown, the Rajasthan health department's Pre-Conception Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) cell has arrested a doctor and a woman tout for their alleged involvement in illegal foetal sex determination. The arrests were made during a meticulously planned decoy operation conducted in Udaipur on Wednesday.
The Decoy Operation: How the Sting Unfolded
The operation was launched after the PCPNDT cell received specific intelligence about a network of touts and doctors conducting illegal sex determination tests in and around Udaipur. Acting on this information, a decoy team was formed under the direction of Additional Superintendent of Police Hemant Jakhad and led by Police Inspector Manju Meena.
The sting began on January 7, when the decoy, posing as a pregnant woman, was contacted by tout Pooja Sagar, a resident of Udaipur. The meeting was set for 11 am in front of Maharana Bhupal Hospital. Sagar had allegedly already taken Rs 35,000 for facilitating the illegal test.
After some time, Sagar introduced the decoy to Dr. Neena Saxena, who operates the private Amar Ashish Hospital and Test Tube Baby Centre. Subsequently, the tout took the woman to a facility named Dhara Diagnostic. There, a receipt of Rs 2,500 was issued, and a sonography was performed.
The Arrests and Recovery of Evidence
Following the sonography, the decoy returned to Amar Ashish Hospital with the report, receipt, film, and a referral slip from the doctor. It was here that Dr. Neena Saxena allegedly accepted Rs 30,000 from the decoy and disclosed the sex of the foetus.
Upon receiving the pre-arranged signal from the decoy, the waiting PCPNDT team immediately moved in and arrested Dr. Saxena right inside the hospital. The team successfully recovered the marked Rs 30,000 used in the transaction. The female tout, Pooja Sagar, was also apprehended by the authorities.
Official Statement and Legal Implications
PCPNDT cell chairman Amit Yadav confirmed the details of the operation, highlighting the department's commitment to eradicating the illegal practice of sex determination, which is a serious offence under the PCPNDT Act. The act strictly prohibits sex selection before or after conception and the misuse of diagnostic techniques for that purpose.
The arrests underscore the ongoing challenges in combating gender-biased sex selection in parts of the country. Authorities use such decoy operations as a critical tool to identify and prosecute medical professionals and intermediaries who violate the law. The case is now under further investigation, and legal proceedings will follow against the accused.
