Out on bail, doctor gets nod for new ultrasound centre

Aparna Banerji

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Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, July 28

The Health Department has granted approval to a new ultrasound centre whose owner is a doctor who is out on bail. He was booked for conducting illegal sex determination tests last year.

While an FIR had been lodged against Dr Tajinder Pal Singh Multani for conducting illegal sex determination tests last year, the department has given a go-ahead to a new ultrasound centre under him. The centre of the said doctor is among the nine ultrasound centres which have been registered by the health authorities this year.

Dr Multani’s Kartarpur-based Arora Scanning Centre had been raided by the PNDT team in October last year and Dr Multani along with two touts were booked. An FIR was registered against Dr Multani, owner and sonologist of the centre in Kartarpur, along with two touts — Rajesh Kumar and Rakesh Samyal. A case had been filed under various Sections of the PNDT Act and Sections 420 and 120-B of the IPC. Rajesh had also been arrested.

The SHO of the Kartarpur police station said, “All three persons had previously been arrested, but are currently out on bail. We are awaiting formal lab report for the presentation of a challan in the case.”

Civil Surgeon Dr Gurinder Kaur Chawla said, “I am not aware of it. However, if an approval has been granted while the doctor is out on bail, it should not have been done. I will look into it.”

District PNDT incharge Dr Surinder Kumar said, “Unless the doctor is convicted, we cannot deny a new approval.”

Meanwhile, Dr Mukesh Sondhi, Deputy Director, Family Planning and PCPNDT, said, “We will look into the matter.”

Sources in the Health Department said, “Cases of officials already facing charges should not be cleared and should ideally be sent to the state before a go-ahead for a new centre. Some centres manage to pressurise the authorities to grant approval for new centres when they are already facing cases.”