Police have busted an alleged illegal prenatal sex determination racket in Maharashtra's Pune district, arresting two persons, including an Ayurvedic doctor, and uncovering a network that may have facilitated sex-selective abortions, officials said.
The prime accused, a Class 12-pass man with no medical qualifications, allegedly used a portable China-made ultrasound machine connected to a mobile application via Bluetooth to determine the sex of foetuses. Investigators are now probing the racket's referral network and the possible abortion of female foetuses.
The case came to light after a video purportedly showing illegal sex determination activities in Daund tehsil surfaced on social media. Health authorities subsequently lodged a complaint, triggering an investigation.
The main accused, Annasaheb Giri (42), allegedly carried out prenatal sex determination tests despite lacking any medical training.
“Giri told the police that he had been involved in the illegal activity since 2024. He is not a doctor and has only studied up to Class 12. He claimed to have briefly enrolled for a B Pharmacy course but dropped out after failing in the first year,” said Narayan Deshmukh, senior police inspector, Yavat police station.
He said Giri allegedly used a portable, Chinese-made ultrasound device linked to a mobile application via Bluetooth to determine the sex of foetuses. Police have seized the machine used in the operation.
According to investigators, Giri charged between Rs 5,000 and Rs 15,000 for conducting the tests and referred women seeking abortions to doctors allegedly linked to the network.
A BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery)-qualified doctor, Atul Jadhav of Wagholi, has also been arrested, while two other doctors remain absconding.
Police suspect the accused operated through a referral-based system, with patients directed to Giri for sex determination tests and then referred to doctors willing to perform abortions.
Officials said the racket functioned with a high degree of secrecy, making it difficult to identify beneficiaries or determine the exact number of illegal procedures carried out.
“Giri claimed he used to examine around 15 to 20 women every month, but that does not necessarily mean all of them underwent abortions. We are verifying the claims and examining digital communications and other evidence,” the officer said.
Police are also seeking custody of Narendra Thakare, who allegedly supplied the ultrasound machine to Giri. Thakare was arrested in a similar case registered elsewhere and will be questioned in connection with the present investigation.
“The investigation is continuing to identify other persons involved in the racket and ascertain the extent of illegal sex determination tests and abortions facilitated through the network. He was in contact with a few doctors also,” the officer added.
Citing preliminary findings, Pune (Rural) Superintendent of Police Sandip Singh Gill said Giri conducted between 30 and 50 examinations every month.
If a female fetus was detected, he allegedly referred the case to other doctors involved in the racket, Gill said.
“Giri has been involved in this activity for the last two to three years. However, we have yet to ascertain the exact number of abortions carried out. The figure will become clear once we obtain and verify the documentary evidence,” Gill said.
A case has been registered under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC&PNDT) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
