Gurgaon and Meerut health departments conduct joint PCPNDT operation; unregistered ultrasound machine seized, FIR lodged against multiple accused
In a major crackdown on illegal prenatal sex determination, a joint operation by the Gurgaon and Meerut health departments has exposed an alleged cross-border racket operating between Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The operation led to the arrest of a doctor and a broker from a diagnostic centre in Sardhana, Meerut, while authorities also booked several other accused under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act and the National Medical Commission (NMC) Act.
The raid was conducted on Thursday at a diagnostic centre located on Tehsil Road in Sardhana by Gurgaon’s PCPNDT nodal cell under the supervision of Dr. Devender Singh Solanki. Officials described the operation as another significant interstate enforcement action against organised networks allegedly involved in illegal prenatal sex determination and female foeticide.
The action followed intelligence received by Gurgaon Civil Surgeon Dr. Lokveer Singh, indicating that a broker was transporting pregnant women from Haryana to Meerut for illegal fetal sex determination tests. According to officials, the broker allegedly charged between ₹15,000 and ₹20,000 for each test and also facilitated illegal abortions if the fetus was found to be female.
Acting on the tip-off, the District Appropriate Authority authorised a decoy operation. A pregnant woman from Faridabad volunteered to act as a decoy patient, while officials from the Gurgaon and Meerut health departments coordinated the interstate raid.
According to officials, the broker met the decoy at the diagnostic centre and accepted ₹15,000 for conducting the illegal test. Authorities alleged that the broker bypassed all mandatory legal documentation before escorting the woman to the ultrasound room, where a doctor allegedly performed the scan using an unregistered ultrasound machine and disclosed that the fetus was male.
Following a pre-arranged signal from the decoy, the joint enforcement team raided the diagnostic centre and recovered ₹14,500 of the marked currency hidden beneath a sheet on the examination table. During questioning, the broker allegedly admitted to paying ₹500 to a doctor at RN Hospital to obtain a fake referral slip for the procedure.
The subsequent investigation revealed that the doctor who conducted the ultrasound possessed only an MBBS degree and was not qualified to perform diagnostic ultrasonography. Officials further stated that the diagnostic centre had informed the Meerut Chief Medical Officer (CMO) on June 5 that it had ceased operations. Despite this declaration, the facility was allegedly functioning illegally. Authorities also found that neither the doctor nor the ultrasound machine was registered under the PCPNDT Act, 1994, which prohibits prenatal sex determination and aims to prevent female foeticide.
Officials said the operation encountered resistance during the handover of the accused to the police. A man, accompanied by several supporters, allegedly obstructed government officials from performing their duties and facilitated the escape of the diagnostic centre’s owner. Both the owner and the individual accused of aiding his escape remain absconding.
Despite the disruption, the joint team successfully detained the broker and the doctor, both of whom were later arrested by the Sardhana Police.
An FIR was subsequently registered at the Sardhana Police Station on Thursday evening. The accused have been booked under provisions related to criminal conspiracy, obstructing public servants in the discharge of official duties, cheating, impersonation, relevant sections of the PCPNDT Act, and Section 34(2) of the National Medical Commission Act, which penalises unauthorised medical practice.
Additionally, the registered medical practitioner associated with the diagnostic centre and another individual have also been named as accused in the case.
The latest operation is part of a series of interstate enforcement drives launched by the Gurgaon health department to dismantle illegal sex determination networks that allegedly transport pregnant women from Haryana to clinics in Uttar Pradesh in an attempt to evade strict enforcement of the PCPNDT Act.
