Doctors held for conducting sex determination tests

AKOLA, May 9: The city police on Wednesday caught a renowned doctor couple red-handed at their clinic while they were declaring the sex of a...

AKOLA, May 9: The city police on Wednesday caught a renowned doctor couple red-handed at their clinic while they were declaring the sex of a foetus to a pregnant lady.

The police action has created ripples in the city medical circles, especially considering the high posts held by both the doctors. Basant Bagdi, who was working as a medical officer at the District General Hospital, was recently promoted as the Deputy Director of Health Services and posted at Pune, while his wife Vandana is a member of the Akola District Consumer Grievances8217; Redressal Forum. Both have been running the Suraj Sonography Clinic at Amankha Plot area for the past several years.

According to reports, the couple had been conducting pre-natal sex determination tests at their clinic, even after it was banned by the State as well as the Central Government.

Recently, Datta Deshmukh of the Nehru Youth Centre and Ganesh Harne, a scribe, lodged a formal complaint with the Superintendent of Police against the doctor couple, allegingthat they were conducting the banned pre-natal sex determination test. After receiving the complaint, DSP K L Vishnoi directed the officials concerned to investigate the matter.

During the investigation, the local crime branch team, led by Kiran Dhote and comprising Chandanshiv and Jadhav, chalked out a plan to nab the doctors, under the supervision of DySP Patil. They sent a pregnant woman to the doctor couple for a pre-natal sex determination test. The woman was accompanied by a lady constable in plain clothes and Harne, both of whom posed as her relatives.

The woman paid Rs 350 at the clinic for the sonography test and got the receipt No 590 for the same. She also paid Rs 1,500 as charges for the sex determination test. However, the doctors did not give any receipt against this payment. The doctor couple conducted the test and asked the woman to come back for the results at around 4.30 pm on Wednesday. When she went as told, Basant Bagdi told her that she was carrying a baby girl.

As soon as thedoctor declared the result of the test, LCB chief Kiran Dhote and his assistants entered the clinic and caught the doctor. Bagdi had a minor scuffle with the policemen but meekly gave in later.

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Nineteen samples taken for pre-natal sex determination tests, slides and other equipment and Rs 1,02,362 in cash were seized from clinic. Two letter-heads having the names of patients were also seized. Patients from far off places including Nanded, Parbhani, Chandrapur and even from other states came to Bagdi8217;s clinic for sex determination tests, the records revealed. An offence under section 23 of the Pre-natal Diagnostic Technique Regulation and Prevention Act, 1994, was registered against Bagdi, his wife, and two of their assistants 8212; Anand Bhimrao Deshmukh and Soni Palekar.