Illegal abortion, sex determination racket busted in Maharashtra; 4 held, mastermind absconding

Mumbai, April 7 A major illegal abortion and sex determination racket has been busted in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, with four persons, including two nurse sisters, arrested and the alleged mastermind absconding, officials said on Tuesday.

The legal action was carried out in the Satara area of the city by a joint team of the municipal corporation's health department and the police, leading to the closure of an illegal facility allegedly operating for a long time.

According to officials, the two arrested sisters are trained General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) nurses, who had been misusing their profession, to run an organised network of illegal abortions and sex determination tests.

Acting on specific inputs, the joint team conducted a raid at the premises, where a woman had been brought for an abortion and was found writhing in severe pain.

She was immediately rescued and admitted to a government hospital for urgent medical care, officials said.

During the operation, police also arrested the person who had brought the woman to the centre.

In addition, a doctor identified during the investigation has been taken into custody for allegedly conducting sonography tests and referring patients to the illegal facility.

The alleged kingpin of the racket, identified as Jyoti Pawar, managed to evade arrest and is currently absconding. However, a raid at her residence led to the seizure of portable medical equipment and a large stock of abortion-related drugs.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused were charging around Rs 15,000 for illegal sex determination tests, while abortions were carried out for significantly higher amounts, running into lakhs of rupees.

The case has raised serious concerns over the continued prevalence of illegal medical practices, particularly those linked to sex determination, which is banned under Indian law.

Officials said the racket may have been operating across multiple locations, with possible links extending to nearby areas such as Sillod. Special police teams have been formed to trace the absconding accused and uncover the wider network.

Health Officer Paras Mandlecha said that the legal action was initiated based on confidential information.

"We had received specific inputs, following which a joint operation was conducted. Illegal equipment and medicines were recovered from the spot. Strict action will be taken against all those involved in this network," he added.

Police added that further investigation is underway and more arrests are likely in connection with the racket.

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