Pune: A joint team of the state health department and the Pune crime branch on Wednesday bust an alleged illegal foetal sex determination activity by a BAMS (Ayurveda) practitioner at a private hospital in Shirur taluka of Pune district.The authorities took action under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994 (PCPNDT) Act. Civil surgeon Dr Nagnath Yempalle said the process to register an FIR was underway and the accused would face legal consequences. The joint investigation conducted in the presence of Yempalle revealed that a mobile app and a van were used for the foetal sex determination tests, which is a banned.Yempalle said, “We received a tip-off and found that a BAMS doctor was conducting sex determination tests in violation of the PCPNDT Act. Police constable Pratiksha Pansare of Wagholi police station went with a decoy patient and laid a trap. The team was led by assistant commissioner of police Rajendra Mulik and senior police inspector Santosh Sonawane.”A stock of pills used for abortion was found and related materials seized from the facility being used by the practitioner. Medical superintendent of the Shirur rural hospital Dr Sachin Dhas said performing or getting foetal sex determination done was a punishable offence and such cases should be immediately reported to the health department or the police.
