A woman doctor has been arrested by police in Vazhapadi near Salem after performing illegal fetal gender determination and revealing the sex of unborn babies to pregnant women. Police conducted a raid on the clinic following a health department inspection, it said.
The arrested doctor was Selvamba Rajkumar. The authorities found medical equipment and other materials at the site during the operation; the doctor was arrested, officials said.
Raid Leads to Arrest
The case came to light after authorities acted on information about suspected illegal prenatal gender determination. Health officials and police worked at the clinic in Vazhapadi, located in Salem district.
During the raid, officials seized a scanning machine, abortion pills, and cash from the property. The seizure has served as the cornerstone of the investigation, and investigators are still trying to determine how large the operation actually was, he said.The clinic was sealed following the raid, and the arrested doctor was taken into custody for further questioning.
Gender determination is illegal in India
Prenatal sex determination is prohibited in India under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994, commonly known as the PCPNDT Act. The law was introduced to prevent the misuse of diagnostic technology for sex selection and address the serious social problem of female foeticide.
Authorities repeatedly warn medical professionals and private institutions against ultrasound or other diagnostic procedures to show the sex of an unborn child.
Tamil Nadu has seen several enforcement operations against alleged illegal fetal sex determination networks in recent years. In one such Salem case, health officials and police busted an alleged racket and seized scanning equipment used for illegal examinations.
Investigation Underway
The latest arrest near Salem has once again highlighted the need for the monitoring of diagnostic centres and medical facilities. The seized equipment and other materials as part of the investigation will be examined, officials say.
Authorities may also probe whether other people were involved in arranging patients, conducting scans, or helping to disclose fetal sex.
This case highlights the still-high barriers faced by enforcement agencies in preventing the misuse of medical technology. Ultrasound and prenatal diagnostic procedures have been proven to be vital tools to monitor pregnancy and fetal health, but such technologies are not legally allowed to determine or communicate the sex of an unborn child, they say.
The details about the investigation, such as the exact charges and if there are more people involved, will come to light as the police and health department continue the investigation.
