The court of the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate in Kurukshetra has convicted four individuals, including a doctor, a tout, and a married couple, under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC and PNDT) Act for determining the sex of a foetus.
Sentences and Fines Imposed
Dr Kaushal Kumar, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, and Sandeep Kumar from Ladwa were each sentenced to three years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) and fined Rs 5,000 under the PC and PNDT Act. Additionally, they received a six-month RI sentence under Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), along with an additional fine of Rs 1,000 each.
The court also sentenced Rekha and Rinku, a couple from Karnal, who sought the test, to one year of RI and a fine of Rs 1,000 each. The couple has five daughters.
Acquittals and Operation Details
Four other accused—Dharambir, Kuldeep, Ram Chander, and Deepak—were acquitted due to insufficient evidence.
According to information, in May 2016, the Health Department in Kurukshetra received a tip-off about a sex determination racket. A decoy patient was arranged, and contact was made with a tout. A deal was fixed for Rs 18,000 for the test. The tout instructed the decoy to go to Ladwa. On May 29, the decoy arrived in Ladwa, where another pregnant woman, Rekha, and her husband Rinku were waiting. Driver Sandeep took them to Dr Kaushal's clinic in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh.
On their return, Sandeep, Rekha, and Rinku were arrested. A subsequent operation led to the doctor's arrest after he performed the test.
Court's Observations
In its judgment, the court noted that prenatal sex determination is the first step toward female foeticide, leading to the silent extermination of countless unborn girls. Such practices perpetuate a discriminatory mindset that devalues daughters compared to sons, contributing to an alarming decline in the female sex ratio.
