Karnataka’s Health Department has achieved a significant victory in its fight against gender-biased abortions, successfully conducting a covert operation in Andhra Pradesh. This critical intervention shines a light on the alarming practice of pregnant women traveling across state lines to bypass strict laws against illegal sex determination and female foeticide.
The operation centered around a 30-year-old mother from Malavalli taluk, Mandya district, who, already having three daughters, sought an illegal prenatal sex determination test in Andhra Pradesh through an agent. Discovering she was carrying another girl, she regrettably decided to terminate the five-month-old pregnancy. Prompted by this distressing information, Karnataka’s Health Department, working closely with authorities in Andhra Pradesh, immediately initiated a daring sting operation.
The Undercover Investigation
Vivek Dorai, Karnataka’s PCPNDT State Nodal Officer, confirmed that on September 21, a joint team, including Andhra Pradesh PCPNDT State Nodal Officer K.V.N.S. Anil Kumar, raided Basha Nursing Home in Kodumur Taluk, Kurnool district. The pregnant woman and her husband were integral to the operation, ensuring crucial evidence was gathered.
The intricate investigation began on September 2 when an ASHA worker and a medical officer, during a routine check-up, noticed the woman’s weakened state. She confided that she had stopped her medication for two days after illicitly learning the foetus’s sex was female. ASHA worker Susheela promptly reported this to the medical officer. The very next day, September 3, a dedicated team—including PHC Medical Officer Seren Namrata, Primary Health Care Officer Nandini, and the vigilant ASHA worker—revisited the woman for detailed questioning, escalating the matter to Taluk Health Officer Veerabhadrappa.
According to Dr. Dorai, the couple’s journey into this illegal network started when they contacted an agent who arranged a meeting at Guntakal bus station. A female accomplice then drove the woman by auto-rickshaw to an undisclosed location for the sex determination, for which they paid ₹7,000. Once the devastating news of a female foetus was delivered, the agent brazenly demanded an extra ₹20,000 for an abortion. Fortunately, the couple resisted this further exploitation and returned to their home.
Evidence Collected
During the actual sting operation, the couple paid ₹9,000 to the agent, with every detail of the transaction meticulously documented. The money’s serial numbers were recorded, and the agent’s actions were carefully monitored. Crucially, the agent disclosed that a Registered Medical Practitioner (RMP) named Dr. Baby, located in Tilak Nagar, Guntakal, was scheduled to perform the illegal abortion.
Dr. Dorai confirmed that the case has now been officially transferred to Dr. Anil Kumar, Andhra Pradesh’s State Nodal Officer, for comprehensive investigation and appropriate legal proceedings.
Karnataka’s Health Minister, Dinesh Gundu Rao, lauded the officials for their precise planning and rapid response. He reiterated the department’s firm stance: ‘Wherever female foeticide is attempted, the department will take strict action.’ Emphasizing that female foeticide is a profound social evil, the Minister stressed the urgent need for a fundamental shift in societal attitudes to completely eliminate this practice, imploring citizens to stay vigilant.
Officials highlighted the indispensable role of inter-state coordination, particularly in regions bordering Karnataka such as Ballari, Raichur, and Vijayanagara, to effectively enforce the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act and prevent such abhorrent violations.