Cross-border sex determination racket busted in Rajasthan; three arrested

In a major crackdown, the district health authorities of Mahendragarh, in coordination with Jhunjhunu police, have busted a cross-border sex determination racket operating across Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. Three accused have been arrested, while the prime accused managed to escape.

Committed to curbing illegal practices

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This success is a direct result of proactive surveillance measures like UID tracking, decoy operations and strict monitoring. We are committed to curbing such illegal practices.

— Dr Ashok Kumar, civil surgeon, narnaul

The gang had reportedly been involved in illegal pre-natal sex determination for several years, luring pregnant women — mainly from Haryana — to undergo tests in Rajasthan.

“We got a tip-off that Haryana women were being lured to Rajasthan as part of a pre-natal sex determination racket. Acting swiftly, a decoy operation was launched in the Singhana area of Jhunjhunu district, Rajasthan, on Wednesday,” said Dr Ashok Kumar, Civil Surgeon at Narnaul.

The decoy client was contacted by Amit Sharma, the prime accused who is currently on the run. He demanded Rs 50,000 to conduct the illegal test, which was scheduled at a private facility in Jhunjhunu.

“Amit called the decoy to Badopur village where a portable ultrasound machine was used to determine the sex of the unborn baby. After the test, one of the accused informed the decoy that she was carrying a female foetus and even offered to arrange an abortion for an additional Rs 20,000,” said Dr Ashok.

Following this, the health team conducted a raid at the spot and apprehended three accused — Ravi, Bharat Sharma, and Umesh — while Amit Sharma fled with the ultrasound machine.

“Some critical evidence, including a Nikon Coolpix camera, mobile phones, a tablet, laptop, and Rs 26,000 in cash, was seized from the site. Legal proceedings have been initiated under the relevant sections of the PC-PNDT Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS),” the Civil Surgeon added.

Dr Ashok said the arrested accused, particularly Ravi, had a prior criminal record. “Four criminal cases have already been registered against Ravi in Rajasthan,” he said.

He also credited the success of the operation to coordinated efforts between the health departments of Mahendragarh and Jhunjhunu. “The PC-PNDT teams of both districts actively participated, while the police administration extended full support and ensured security at the site. The accused were later produced before the court,” he added.

The Civil Surgeon noted that the health department has intensified surveillance using technological tools such as UID tracking, real-time data feeding on the PC-PNDT portal and decoy operations.