Sex determination racket busted; three held, doctor on run

Tribune News Service

Hisar, October 14

The health authorities of Hisar and Sirsa district conducted a raid and busted a sex determination racket here today. They arrested three persons who were allegedly acting as touts in Barwala town.

A case has been registered against the owner of Anantram Janta Hospital of Barwala. Officials claimed that the name of Dr Anantram Barwala had figured in the racket for the fifth time. A case had been registered against him by the Hisar police in 2015, and by the Barwala police in 2016, 2018 and 2021.

The Barwala police station had registered a case on the complaint of the PNDT nodal officer, Dr Prabhu Dayal, against Dr Anantram Barwala, Sunita Lohari, a resident of Taranagar Colony of Barwala; Krishna Kumar of Rajli village; and Ali Khan of Sulkhani village in Hisar under the PNDT Act and certain Sections of the IPC.

In a complaint to the police, Dr Dayal said the Sirsa Health Department had received secret information that Dr Barwala had formed a gang and was conducting sex determination tests. A team was formed comprising Dr Bharat Bhushan and Dr Harsimran and a pregnant woman, Saroj, who acted as a decoy. Later, some other doctors were also included in the team.

The team contacted Sunita, alleged tout of Dr Barwala, for a sex determination test, following which she called them near a service station in Barwala last evening. Saroj and ambulance driver Surender went to the designated place at around 9 pm. Sunita and her friend Krishan came on a motorcycle and reportedly took Rs 50,000 from Saroj. They blindfolded Saroj and took her to a house in Krishna Colony. There, Dr Barwala brought an ultrasound machine and checked the sex of the foetus and disappeared from there.

Later, when Sunita and Krishan came to drop Saroj, Sunita informed them that she was carrying a girl. After this, the team apprehended them both. Upon interrogation, they said Dr Barwala had determined the gender of the foetus.

The police said raids were on to arrest Dr Barwala, who was absconding.

Booked earlier too

A case had been registered against the doctor by the Hisar police in 2015, and by the Barwala police in 2016, 2018 and 2021.

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