In Kolhapur district, police have applied the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against 11 individuals linked to an illegal sex determination and abortion operation. This is the first instance of MCOCA being invoked for violations of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) and Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) acts. Authorities are treating this case as a sophisticated and organized criminal network, highlighting the severity of the offenses involved.
The decision to escalate the legal charges follows a high-level meeting on Aug 13, chaired by Shiv Sena MLC Neelam Gorhe and attended by senior police and health officials, where calls were made for tougher action against persistent violators. The 11 accused currently in custody are Swapnil Patil, Mahesh Patil, Shrimant Patil, Vijay Kolaskar, Prashant Jadhav, Dattatray Patil, Omkar Karale, Sunil Patil, Anil Tipugade, Shivprasad Patil, and Ashwini Shinde. Criminal records revealed that several of the accused were repeat offenders with histories of similar crimes across Kolhapur district.
The accused operated a well-organised network that systematically targetted pregnant women, according to the police. The approval to apply MCOCA was granted by Ranjan Kumar Sharma, special inspector general ofpolice (Kolhapur range), following a detailed proposal submitted by the Kolhapur police. The group allegedly managed every stage of the crime: scouting for clients, procuring illegal sonography machines, conducting tests at clandestine locations, disclosing the sex of foetuses, and arranging illegal abortions when a female foetus was detected. Police officials explained that a primary reason for invoking MCOCA is the tendency of such offenders to secure bail and promptly resume their illegal activities. By using the tougher law, authorities hope to create a lasting deterrent against rackets that contribute significantly to the state’s declining sex ratio at birth.