Sex test racket: Haryana presses for case against all accused

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, May 23

Haryana authorities today asked Punjab officials to register a case against all accused involved in the sex determination racket busted in Longowal town of this district late on Monday evening.

A joint team of the police and the Health Department had caught six pregnant women and a nurse, Ravinder Kaur, from a farmhouse on the Jharo road in Longowal. Health officials, however, released all accused last night after getting their medical examination conducted and recording their statements even as cops objected to the move and wanted to lodge an FIR.

Dr Ravinder Klair, who led the team, had said they would lodge a court case and ruled out any police action in this connection last night.

But after pressure from senior authorities, Sangrur Civil Surgeon Dr Subodh Gupta today wrote to the Longowal police to register an FIR against the accused in the yesterday’s incident.

“The Longowal SHO has received a letter from the Health Department. We would examine it and take legal action accordingly,” said Sunam DSP William Jeji.

“After strictness in Haryana, these gangs have started operating in border districts of Punjab. Patran is their main centre,” said Dr GL Singal, Haryana coordinator of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao project. 

Some pregnant women were from Haryana, Singal called up senior police officials in Sangrur and demanded legal action in the incident. 

Haryana Chief Minister’s Additional Principal Secretary Rakesh Gupta said since they had tightened the noose around gangs involved in sex determination in Haryana, they had got active in Punjab. “I have spoken to Punjab government officials for the registration of FIR against the accused,” said Gupta.

Flip-flop

The police and the Health Department had caught six pregnant women and a nurse from a farmhouse in Longowal. Health officials, however, released them on Monday night after getting their medical examination conducted and recording their statements even as cops objected to the move.