Kʼtaka health officials bust prenatal sex determination racket in inter-state decoy operation:Report
Bengaluru: In a first for the Karnataka health department, a team of officials conducted an interstate decoy operation with the help of their Andhra Pradesh counterparts and uncovered a racket involved in prenatal sex determination.
According to a report published by Deccan Herald on Thursday, the investigation began after a pregnant woman from Mandya district revealed during a routine health check-up that she had learned the sex of her unborn child during a visit to Guntakal in Andhra Pradesh. Disturbingly, she also admitted to discontinuing her medication after discovering she was carrying a girl child.
Asha workers in Malavalli, who noticed the woman’s deteriorating health, alerted senior health officials after learning about the illegal procedure. The woman and her husband reportedly obtained the sex determination test through a contact whose identity was initially unknown.
Following this, Dr Vivek Dorai, state nodal officer, Pre Conception and Pre Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT), planned a decoy operation in coordination with Dr K.V.N.S. Anil Kumar, his counterpart in Andhra Pradesh.
As part of the operation, the same Mandya couple was asked to reconnect with the original agent. Karnataka officials provided the couple with Rs 9,000 in cash after marking the serial number of the notes. The couple contacted the agent again, expressing interest in another sex determination test.
The agent accepted Rs 7,500 and facilitated contact with a medical officer to carry out the test. She later informed the couple that the foetus was female and reportedly revealed that a medical termination of pregnancy could be arranged through one Dr Baby, a registered medical practitioner based in Guntakal. She even shared a contact number for the procedure.
Later, the officials checked the cash in the hands of the agent and confirmed that she had the currency with the pre-recorded serial numbers, the report added.
The Karnataka health department has since handed over all findings to the Andhra Pradesh officials for further investigation and possible legal action.
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UP woman found hanging at in-laws' home; family alleges dowry murder
Maharajganj (UP) (PTI): A 29-year-old married woman was found hanging at her in-laws' home here, with her in-laws claiming it was suicide while her mother alleging murder over dowry, police said on Sunday.
According to police, Anukriti (29) had married Manoj Gond six years ago and lived with her in-laws in Mahadeva village.
Her in-laws claimed that she died by suicide after allegedly hanging herself inside a room of the house on Saturday evening, police said.
After receiving information about the incident, a police team reached the spot and sent the body for a post-mortem.
Paniyara police station in-charge Sanjay Kumar Singh said that based on a complaint filed by the woman’s mother, a case was registered on Sunday against her husband Manoj Gond, mother-in-law Punam, father-in-law Sumer Gond, and brother-in-law Munna Gond.
The complainant alleged that Anukriti was being harassed for dowry by in-laws and was murdered over dowry-related demands, Singh said.
(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the state’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416.)
