FIR Lodged Against 5 Doctors Of Suri Scan Centre, Balachaur Under PC PNDT Act For Illegal Sex-Determination

Chandigarh, April 23, 2016: Sh Surjit Kumar Jyani, Health and Family Welfare Minister, Punjab here today disclosed that acting on the tip off given by the empanelled detective agency, the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Punjab conducted second successful sting operation conducted since morning till late evening on Friday in Balachaur, which led to the registration of cases under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC-PNDT) Act and Rules against 5 doctors of Suri Scan Centre, Balachaur, District SBS Nagar. The case was registered after doctors of Suri Scan Centre took a sum of Rs. 20,000/- from a decoy patient for illegal sex-determination.
Giving details of the case the Minister informed that a woman decoy deployed by Health Department was able to strike a deal with the Scan Centre for sex-determination of her foetus. At the time of scanning, the Health authorities conducted raid and also recovered Rs 20,000/- from Dr Bhushan of Suri Scan Centre. Notably during scan, the decoy-women was informed by Dr Sunita of the Suri Scan centre to get ready to celebrate with ladoo (a reference that indicates the foetus to be a male child). The team found that as per record Dr Sandeep and Dr Gurinder Bagga, both Sonologists were only authorized for scanning at the centre. The team sealed the Scan Centre on the spot and pasted a notice that owners of the centre must get all the records of the scan centre inspected by Sub-divisional appropriate authority (PC PNDT Act) within 48 hours. Meanwhile on the complaint by Sub-divisional appropriate authority a case has been registered against Dr Ujagar Singh Suri (owner), Dr Bhushan, Dr Sunita, Dr Sandeep and Dr Gurinder Bagga.
Ms. Vini Mahajan, Principal Secretary, Health informed that the raid was conducted under the direct supervision of Dr Usha Bansal, Director, Health Services (Family Welfare), Punjab and was led by Dr Maninder Minhas, Civil Surgeon, SBS Nagar. Other members were Dr Sunil Pathak, SMO Sub division hospital Balachaur, Tehsildar, DSP and local SHO of Balachaur. She further informed that the department has recently roped in the professional services of detective agency to catch hold of the violators of Pre-Conception & Pre-Natal Diagnostic Technique Act and Rules (PC-PNDT Act). She said that this is a second such major successful operation conducted with the help of the detective agency. 4 days back another successful action against the violators of PC PNDT Act was carried at Chhertta (District Amritsar) that led to the arrest of a female doctor. She warned that violators would be dealt with sternly and the Health department is maintaining a strict vigil on the illegal activities of certain nefarious and anti-social elements indulging in mal-practice of sex-determination and female foeticide.