Activists working with the Led Laadki Abhiyaan, an organisation devoted to ending female foeticide, have sent a notice to a bunch of state officials who they claim have shown laxity in acting against doctors found conducting sex determination tests in a recent sting operation in Kolhapur.
In the notice the activists have said if the authorities fail to take stern action within 15 days against the seven doctors exposed in the sting, a case of violation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act will filed against them.
“We have sent a notice to the State Appropriate Authority, Nodal Officer, Appropriate Authority of Kolhapur Corporation and Civil Surgeon of Kolhapur to take strict action against the errant doctors and radiologists within 15 days,” Satara-based activist and founder of Lek Laadki Varsha Deshpande said. “In case they fail to do so, we will file a court case against them for violating the PCPNDT Act.”
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She said the sting conducted by the activists had left no room for doubt on the doctors’ guilt. “During our sting operation last month, we had found seven doctors, namely Dr P G Mane, Dr Yuvraj Patil, a Dr Bhulke and his doctor wife, Dr Argade, Dr Kuber and Dr Jayshree Swami, who were conducting sex determination tests,” Deshpande said. “In some of the cases, the sonography machines which were used were officially sealed and most of them had silent observer attached to them.”
Activist Kailash Jadhav, who is a part of the Lek Ladki Abhiyaan and involved in busting many sex determination rackets, said in all they were demanding action against 16 people, which included agents.
“We have demanded action against 16 people for violating the PCPNDT Act and the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, and these include seven doctors, two agents and husbands of women who had undergone sex determination tests and illegal abortions,” Jadhav said. “Moreover, the authorities are yet to seal four sonography machines from the clinics of the doctors who were exposed during the sting operation.”u00a0
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