At a time when extortion calls have kept police busy across the state, a lady doctor who had falsely claimed she too was a victim of the same, has been found to be indulged in sex-determination tests.

The doctor, identified as Hina Rani Devnath, runs an ultrasound centre with her husband at Alamganj area. She had lodged a complaint at Alamganj police station on January 14 claiming she had been asked to cough up Rs 5 lakh by an extortionist.

However, police investigations have revealed that she had not received extortion threats, but a person, who had performed a sting operation on her had sent her texts and letters urging her not to continue with the practice.

Senior superintendent of police Manu Maharaaj said: "The doctor's claim no longer stands valid as we have verified that the person had neither threatened her nor sent any texts or letters claiming so as alleged by the doctor. The person had simply asked her not to conduct sex-determination tests. The accused, Ranjeet Kumar, who happens to be a member of Pratham, a non-government organisation, had even sent a CD as a proof of his sting operation to the doctor. The sting operation clearly shows her performing such a test. However, the doctor had not revealed these details when she lodged the complaint. We will lodge a case against Ranjeet under Section 504 of the Indian Penal Code (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace). Besides, we are also going to write to the health department asking them to form a committee and investigate if the doctor had violated norms according to the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostics Techniques (PC & PNDT) Act, 1994, which restricts sex-determination test. The PC & PNDT Act states that a committee has to be formed under the health department to probe such matters."

Maharaaj said if the health department does not take any action against the matter, police would take suo motu cognisance and lodge a case against the doctor under PC & PNDT Act, 1994. "We already got the CD that was sent by Ranjeet to the lady doctor. We have also found the cell phone using which the sting operation was filmed. So, we have all necessary details to initiate action against the doctor."

Sources said Ranjeet had earlier conducted sting operations on another city-based hospital - Nidan - and had sent the authorities a letter and CD of his sting operation.

Sources, however, said this wasn't an exceptional case in the state capital and there have been a number of cases in the past when private ultrasound centres and other health organisations have been found doing the same.

Civil surgeon G.S. Singh said: "In November last year, a team from the Centre had sealed an ultrasound centre in Didarganj area, which was found to be involved in conducting sex-determination tests. A case has been lodged against the owner of the ultrasound centre."

Patna police has decided to conduct regular raids in the ultrasound centres and health organisations of the city to keep constant checks against such practices, said Maharaaj.