In a shocking revelation from rural Maharashtra, police authorities in Jalna district have exposed an illegal foetal sex determination and abortion operation being run from an unlikely location - a cattle shed. The raid conducted on Wednesday led to the immediate arrest of two individuals involved in this clandestine network that targeted expecting parents.
The Raid and Arrests
Acting on specific intelligence, a joint team comprising police personnel and health department officials stormed the illegal facility located in Nanja Wadi village under Bhokardan tehsil. The arrested individuals have been identified as Satish Sonawane, who has only completed Class 12 education, and Keshav Gawande, who owns the Tejas Pathology Lab in Bhokardan tehsil. During the operation, authorities discovered three women waiting for their turn to undergo the illegal sex determination tests.
Law enforcement officials confiscated significant evidence from the premises, including medical testing equipment such as a portable machine, various abortion pills, and mobile phones used for coordinating the illegal activities. The equipment seizure provides crucial evidence about the sophisticated nature of the operation despite its rustic location.
Operation Details and Location Strategy
The illegal facility had been strategically established inside a tin-shed cattle enclosure situated adjacent to a Zilla Parishad school in the Gawliwadi area of the village. Investigators revealed that the perpetrators deliberately chose this inconspicuous location to avoid drawing public attention and to continue their operations under the radar of authorities.
According to police statements, this illegal network had been actively operating for approximately six months from the cattle shed location. The setup allowed the accused to conduct both sex determination tests and subsequent illegal abortions from the same secluded spot, creating a complete illegal service chain for gender-based foetal elimination.
Criminal History and Repeat Offenses
Police investigations uncovered that Satish Sonawane, the primary accused hailing from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, has a history of similar offenses with cases already registered against him in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Beed, and Jalna districts. This pattern indicates the persistent nature of such illegal operations despite previous legal actions.
This recent crackdown follows a similar operation in July 2024 when authorities discovered another illegal abortion center in Bhokardan tehsil. That previous operation had resulted in the arrest of 28 individuals, including doctors from Jalna and Buldhana districts, highlighting the widespread nature of this illegal practice in the region.
The repeated discovery of such facilities indicates an ongoing challenge for authorities in combating illegal sex determination and abortion practices in Maharashtra, despite stringent laws and regular enforcement actions. The case continues to be under investigation as authorities look for potential additional connections and networks involved in this illegal trade.
