Mandya police have arrested three doctors in KR Pet for allegedly failing to report cases of teenage pregnancy. The arrests followed raids conducted based on credible information, officials said.
Doctors Violated Legal Provisions
According to officials, doctors are required to inform authorities such as the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) or the child development project officer (CDPO) when they encounter cases involving underage pregnant girls. However, in these instances, the doctors failed to discharge this duty.
The arrested individuals are Dr Divya Chethana of Chethana Maternity Center, Dr Harshit of Navi Diagnostic Center, and Dr Harish of Kushal Diagnostic Center.
Absconding Doctor
Police said Dr Priyanka, a gynecologist at a government hospital named in the case, remains absconding. Efforts are underway to trace her.
Police have registered 12 FIRs against 17 accused at KR Pet Town and Rural police stations. Those named include a government doctor, three private practitioners, a junior female health assistant, an ASHA worker, and several private individuals suspected of facilitating the violations. So far, three doctors have been taken into custody.
Preliminary Investigation Findings
Preliminary investigations indicate that two diagnostic centers in KR Pet were central to the alleged racket. At Navi Diagnostic Center alone, 24 underage pregnant girls underwent scans, including 19 cases in 2024 and five in 2025. Kushal Diagnostic Center is also under scrutiny for conducting scans on at least seven underage girls.
Officials stated that the Lokayukta police took up the case suo motu following the raids.
Further Investigation
Further investigation is underway to determine the full extent of the network and to bring all those involved to justice.
Speaking to TOI, Suresh Babu, Superintendent of Lokayukta, said, "As of Tuesday, 12 cases have been registered, and three persons have already been arrested. Dr Priyanka, who allegedly referred more than 1,300 cases to these centers, is absconding. Local police will obtain body warrants in each case and conduct a detailed investigation. It is the responsibility of the scanning centers to verify Aadhaar cards and confirm the age of those who come for scans. If the person is underage, the matter should be immediately brought to the notice of the authorities, which was not done. Instead, ages were recorded arbitrarily. We have instructed police to arrest Dr Priyanka at the earliest."
