Interstate gender determination racket busted in Ghaziabad, two agents held

The district health authorities claimed to have unearthed an inter-state pre-natal sex determination racket that was being operated from a brick-kiln in Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh). In a well-coordinated operation, the health team seized a portable ultrasound machine used in the illegal activity and apprehended two agents involved in the racket.

“We received a tip-off about an ongoing sex determination racket being run from UP, involving agents who lure customers from various regions. Acting on this information, we formed a team and arranged for a decoy customer to contact one of the agents, Satinder, who worked at a private hospital in Nangloi (Delhi). Satinder arranged a deal for the gender determination for Rs 35,000 and instructed the customer to meet him at Udyog Vihar Metro Station on the morning of March 12,” said Dr Brahmdeep Singh, Civil Surgeon, Jhajjar.

He maintained that the decoy customer met Satinder at the given location and handed over the money. Satinder then asked the customer’s driver to proceed to Ghaziabad, while the Health Department team tracked the vehicle. Later, Satinder transferred the customer to another agent, Narendra, who took the customer to a brick-kiln near Jawli village on a motorcycle. Satinder also handed over Rs 35,000 to Narendra, he added.

“At the brick-kiln, the customer was taken into a room where a man named Kapil Kasana performed the illegal gender determination test using the portable ultrasound machine, revealing the unborn baby’s gender. Narendra then paid Kapil Rs 35,000. Afterwards, Narendra escorted the customer out of the room. As soon as the customer signalled, the team apprehended Narendra. However, Kapil managed to escape from there,” said Dr Brahmdeep.

He said shortly after, local police and the Ghaziabad health team arrived at the scene. They also apprehended Satinder, who was waiting at the location where he handed over the customer to Narendra. During the investigation, it was revealed that Satinder and Kapil had been previously arrested in an illegal gender testing case in Delhi by the PNDT team from Narnaul last year, he added.

“Kapil is also facing charges in a PC-PNDT case registered in Ghaziabad. After being granted bail, he resumed his illegal activities upon release. A case under the PC-PNDT Act has now been filed against Satinder, Narendra and Kapil Kasana at the Tila Mod police station in Ghaziabad,” Dr Brahmdeep said.