A Rohtak health department team successfully busted an alleged foetal sex determination racket that was operating from a moving SUV in Ghaziabad's National Capital Region (NCR). However, the main accused was later released after the local Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) team reportedly failed to arrive for legal proceedings.
Operation Under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao
The operation was led by Vishavjit Rathee under the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme. Acting on specific intelligence inputs, the team laid a trap and apprehended Akram, a resident of Loni in Ghaziabad. Akram was allegedly part of a gang that conducted illegal prenatal sex determination tests using a portable ultrasound machine inside a vehicle.
Referral Network Across NCR
Officials revealed that the gang operated through a referral network spanning across NCR, with Haryana being one of its major client bases. A 23-year-old pregnant woman acted as a decoy patient during the operation. Investigators said that the accused instructed the woman and her husband to reach a Metro station on Thursday, from where they were taken inside the SUV.
Sources indicated that Akram and two associates performed the scan inside the moving vehicle using portable equipment. The raiding team, assisted by local police, intercepted the SUV after receiving a signal from the decoy patient. Akram was detained, while the other accused escaped, abandoning the vehicle.
Legal Hurdles
However, officials alleged that despite waiting for nearly 10 hours, the local PCPNDT team from Ghaziabad did not arrive to complete the legal formalities. This forced the Rohtak team to release the detained accused. "We had full support from the local police in Loni, who detained the accused and seized material, but no case could be registered as the local PNDT team did not turn up," Dr Rathee said.
He added that a detailed report and seizure documents had been submitted to Rohtak Deputy Commissioner Sachin Gupta for further action with the Ghaziabad administration. Officials also noted that a similar raid in Ghaziabad in November 2024 had failed after the accused allegedly got prior information and escaped.
