Sex determination racket busted; women were taken to UP for tests

Kurukshetra, February 17

A team of the Kurukshetra Health Department on Friday busted a sex determination racket by arresting two touts, who used to take pregnant women from the state to Uttar Pradesh to get the tests conducted. The suspects have been identified as Narender Saini and Raghubir Singh of Karnal.

Two suspects held, three at large

• During his questioning, Narender Saini, one of the suspects, said of the Rs 45,000 given to him for getting the test conducted, Rs 30,000 was given to the person who performed the test and a motorcycle rider
• Of the remaining amount, Rs 10,000 was to be given to another tout, identified as Raghubir Singh of Karnal, who has also been arrested
• A case has been registered against Narender, Raghubir, the motorcycle rider, the owner of the house where the ultrasound test was conducted and the doctor who did it. Only two suspects have been arrested so far

In a police complaint, Health Department official Dr Gaurav Bansal said that acting on a tip-off, a decoy was arranged and a deal was fixed with one of the suspects at Rs 45,000.

Tout Narender Saini informed the decoy that the test would be conducted in the Thana Bhavan area of Uttar Pradesh and asked the decoy to meet him at Umri Chowk at

1 pm on Friday.

As per instructions, the decoy reached the spot and a team of the Health Department started following them. The tout asked the decoy to give him Rs 45,000 first and took her to Uttar Pradesh via Karnal.

They reached Uttar Pradesh at 4 pm. After making them wait for 2.5 hours, a person reached there on a two-wheeler and the tout started following him in his car.

Due to congested lanes and heavy traffic, the Health team couldn’t follow the car. Soon, the team received information that the car was returning towards Kurukshetra, following which the team was again able to spot the car and started following them.

The Kurukshetra police were alerted and a check post was established near the Umri Chowk. At 9 pm, the Health team and the Kurukshetra police nabbed the tout and recovered Rs 15,000 from his possession.

The decoy informed the police that the bike rider had left them in a house and returned with a person who did an ultrasound test. A portable machine was used to perform the test.

During questioning, Narender Saini revealed that of the Rs 45,000, Rs 30,000 was given to the person who performed the test and the bike rider. Of the remaining amount, Rs 10,000 was to be given to another tout, identified as Raghubir Singh, a resident of Karnal.

Raghubir has also been arrested. A case has been registered against Narender, Raghubir, the bike rider, the owner of the house where the ultrasound was performed and the doctor who performed the test.

A case has been registered at the Thanesar Sadar police station under various sections of PCPNDT Act and the IPC.

In-charge of the Sector-4 police post, Sub-Inspector Malkeet Singh, said: “The touts were produced before a court, which sent Narender Saini to a two-day police remand and Raghubir to judicial custody. Further investigation is on and the remaining suspects will be arrested soon.”