Telangana: 18 held for illegal sex determination tests, abortion

The team also seized sex-determination scanning machines, Rs 73,000 in cash, and 18 cell phones.

Hyderabad: Eighteen members of a gang involved in carrying out illegal pre-natal sex determination tests as well as conducting 100 unauthorized abortions were nabbed in a joint operation in Warangal district on Monday.

The Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU), Task Force police, Kakatiya University Campus (KUC), and the medical and health department teamed up and arrested the 18 accused. However, two people managed to escape.

The team also seized sex-determination scanning machines, Rs 73,000 in cash, and 18 cell phones.

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The accused have been identified as Vemula Praveen, Vemula Sandhyarani, Dr Balne Pardhu, Dr Moram Aravinda, Dr Moram Srinivas Murthy, Dr Balne Purnima, Balne Pradeep Reddy, Kaita Raju, Talla Arjun, Pranai Babu, Keerthy Mohan, Balne Asalatha, Kongara Renuka, Bhukya Anil, Chengelli Jagan, Gannarapu Srilatha, Bandi Nagaraju, and Kasiraju Dileep.

They have been under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act (PCPNDT) of 1994, in addition to other relevant Acts and IPC sections.

Police Commissioner A V Ranganath, at a press conference held in Hanamkonda, said that the operation was initiated based on multiple complaints related to illegal abortions.

He notified that the prime accused, Vemula Praveen, was previously apprehended on similar charges.

“Irrespective of his previous criminal record, Praveen continued to engage in illegal activities to make easy money and also involved his wife in his operations,” the senior police officer told reporters.

“His wife Sandhyarani ran a secret scanning centre within the Gopalpur area located in Venkateswara Colony under the jurisdiction of the Kakatiya University police station,” he said.

Additionally, Praveen also established connections with private liaison officers, public relations officers, hospital management, registered medical practitioners (RMPs) and private medical practitioners (PMPs).

Praveen and his team conducted illegal sex determination tests on pregnant women and revealed the foetus’s identity.

If the foetus was a female the parents would be referred to affiliated hospitals for abortion. The abortion charge would range anywhere from Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 each.

According to the police, the criminal activity took place at Lotus Hospital in Hanamkonda, Gayathri Hospital, Upender (Parthu) Hospital in Nekkonda, and Balaji Multi-Specialty Hospital in Narsampet.

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