Salem : In a major crackdown, a doctor, his wife, and an assistant were arrested in Salem district for allegedly running an illegal sex determination racket at a private hospital in Edappadi. Authorities said the doctor was charging between ₹15,000 to ₹20,000 from pregnant women to reveal the gender of their unborn babies.
The case came to light after the district health department received a tip-off about unlawful practices at Aravind Hospital, located on the Salem–Edappadi main road. Acting swiftly, a special enforcement squad was formed to investigate the allegations.
The squad, led by Joint Director of Health Services S Nandhini, Deputy Director S Soundammal, and health officer Yogananthan, placed the hospital under discreet surveillance before launching a surprise raid on Monday.
During the inspection, officials allegedly found the doctor conducting illegal sex determination tests on a pregnant woman. Shockingly, the team also seized over 80 high-end mobile phones and scanning devices suspected to have been used in the racket.
The doctor, his wife, and their assistant were detained on the spot with the assistance of local police. The hospital premises have since been sealed, and the accused are being interrogated.
Authorities say this racket is part of a larger issue plaguing several states, where portable sonography machines are used illegally. Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that such foreign-made machines are sold for up to ₹10 lakh in the black market.
Officials confirmed that further investigation is underway to trace possible links of the Salem operation with wider illegal prenatal sex determination networks in the country.
