MUMBAI: In a major crackdown on an illegal sex determination racket, police have arrested Dr Ravindra Kute, former president of the Indian Medical Association’s Maharashtra chapter, for his alleged involvement in conducting illegal abortions and sex determination tests, an official said on Saturday.
The official further said that police have so far arrested 12 people, including two doctors, three agents, and relatives of women who were brought in for illegal sex determination tests and abortions. “IMA Maharashtra State does not support or protect any member or office-bearer involved in violations of the PCPNDT Act. In the case of Dr Ravindra Kute, the police and the court will carry out the legal process based on the available evidence,” stated a release issued by the medical body’s president, Dr Santosh Kulkarni, and secretary Dr Vikrant Desai.
Dr Kute was arrested in Rahata on Wednesday and has been remanded in police custody, the official said, according to news agency PTI.
The arrest comes after an investigation into a racket allegedly operating across Ahilyanagar and Pune, involving a network of agents and doctors in violation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, the official added. Additional Superintendent of Police (Shrirampur) Somnath Waghchaure and his team led the operation, which uncovered that the racket was spread across Pune and Ahilyanagar. Further investigation in the case is underway.