Illegal sex-determination racket uncovered in Shirur taluka; doctor and agent arrested
A BAMS-qualified doctor and an associate have been arrested by Pune police on allegations of operating an illegal sex-determination racket from a clinic in Shirur taluka. The duo have been booked under relevant sections of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994. The case is registered at Crime Branch Unit-7 in Wagholi and police say investigations are ongoing.
Arrests, charges and case registration
Police arrested the doctor and his agent after a targeted inspection and sting operation at the clinic. Authorities allege the doctor was using a mobile phone application to determine foetal sex—a practice prohibited by the PCPNDT Act. In addition to the arrests, officials seized medicines commonly used for abortion procedures and other materials from the premises. Records recovered from the clinic include reports and data related to more than 100 couples, and evidence of online financial transactions linked to the alleged service.
How the operation was uncovered and the sting operation
According to police sources, the illegal activity came to light after informers alerted the authorities. Acting on the tip-off, officials reached out to the Pune Civil Surgeon on March 1 to initiate formal action. A joint team comprising Crime Branch officers and public health officials planned and executed a decoy operation to verify the allegations.
During the operation, a female constable posed as a patient and, together with another constable, approached the clinic through the agent. The sting was carried out in coordination with senior public health representatives present at the inspection. The coordinated approach enabled investigators to monitor the clinic’s procedures discreetly and collect evidence that officials say showed use of the mobile application to determine foetal sex.
Officials present, roles and procedural steps
The joint inspection was conducted in the presence of the Pune Civil Surgeon and the medical superintendent of the local rural hospital. Police leadership for the action came from the Deputy Commissioner of Police of Crime Branch Unit-7 and the unit’s Senior Inspector. The presence of public health authorities during the inspection indicates coordination between law enforcement and health regulators as part of the compliance and enforcement process under the PCPNDT framework.
Evidence seized and patterns uncovered
Investigators report recovering several types of evidentiary material from the clinic. Mobile-phone records contained reports and details for over 100 couples who had apparently undergone the illicit service, according to police. Officials also located records of online monetary transactions, which they say suggest the accused charged substantial sums for the prohibited tests—police estimate fees ranged between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 1.5 lakh per test. In addition, a stock of medicines commonly used in abortion procedures was seized from the premises.
Authorities further allege that patients travelled not only from Pune but also from Mumbai to seek services at the clinic. Police have emphasized that the centre was not registered under the PCPNDT Act, and that the BAMS doctor was not authorised to carry out such tests.
Legal and public-health concerns raised by the case
Advocate Megha Sontale, district legal advisor for the PCPNDT Cell in Pune, raised concerns about the apparent ease of access to the tools used in the alleged scheme. She told medichelpline that when questioned about the source of the device or application, the accused first claimed it had been bought at an exhibition and later said it came from Mumbai, but refused to provide further details. She drew attention to how simple and accessible the application appeared to be, describing its ease of use to determine foetal sex as “alarming.”
The alleged availability of such devices or applications, combined with the clinic’s lack of PCPNDT registration and the doctor’s limited authorisation to perform such procedures, underscores regulatory and enforcement challenges. Public-health officials participating in the inspection highlighted the importance of registration, monitoring and inter-agency cooperation to detect and dismantle illegal operations that have both legal and public-health implications.
Next steps in the investigation
Police have registered the case at Crime Branch Unit-7, Wagholi, and further investigation is underway. Authorities have seized physical evidence, electronic records and medication stocks as part of the investigation file. The involvement of public health officials and the district PCPNDT advisory cell indicates that the matter will continue to be pursued through both criminal and regulatory channels.
Officials have not released additional details about ongoing investigative steps, but the seizure of transaction records and mobile-phone data suggests that inquiries will examine client lists, payment trails, device sourcing, and possible networks that facilitated the alleged operation. The case also raises questions about how unapproved applications and devices reach practising medical personnel, and whether additional enforcement or public-awareness measures will be recommended by regulatory authorities as the probe progresses.