Sex-determination racket unearthed in UP, 5 arrested

A Health Department team from Jhajjar district has unearthed an illegal sex-determination racket being operated in Bulandshahr, UttarPradesh.

Jhajjar Civil Surgeon Dr Jaimala said the district appropriate authority had received a tip-off regarding a gang conducting illegal sex-determination tests in the Bulandshahr area.

As per the information, the members of the gang were conducting the illegal tests on pregnant women of Jhajjar and nearby areas after charging hefty fees.

A team was constituted to verify the said information. PNDT Nodal Officer Dr Sandeep Kumar led the team, which comprised Dr Basant Kumar, Dr Binika and Vinod Kumar. Woman Head Constable Reena and Deepak from the Police Department also accompanied the team.

A man called up Parvinder, who worked as an agent, and introduced himself as the husband of a pregnant woman (decoy customer). A deal was struck for determining the foetal sex of the decoy customer for Rs 28,000.

The decoy customer was asked to come to Bulandshahr on April 11. The Health Department team also reached Bulandshahr along with the decoy customer. The PC-PNDT team of Bulandshahr was also informed of the matter.

Meanwhile, the decoy customer’s husband handed over Rs 28,000 to agent Parvinder. Parvinder then called another agent, Ajay, who took the decoy customer to a house in Bulandshahr.

After some time, another agent Shivam arrived with a portable ultrasound machine. A man named Vivek, who was present at the house, conducted the ultrasound test and stated that the foetus was male.

Ajay then went back to drop the decoy customer, where she signaled the team. Ajay and Parvinder were nabbed by the team.

Agent Shivam and ultrasound-operator Vivek were also nabbed. The team seized the ultrasound machine and currency notes of Rs 10,000 from Vivek’s possession.

However, Vishakha Sharma, who used to live as a tenant at the said house, managed to escape along with Rs 18,000.

On being questioned, Vivek told the team members that the ultrasound machine belonged to one Amit, who reportedly ran the gang.

The team also nabbed Amit and handed over the agents as well as the ultrasound operator to the police. A case has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita and the PCPNDT Act.

Haryana Tribune