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Maharashtra: Government servants, netas likely used Solapur clinic for abortion, reveals investigation

Last week, the Solapur police had arrested Tejas Gandhi, 43, and his wife Priti, 41, who ran the Siya Maternity and Surgical Home in Akluj for allegedly conducting sex determination and gender-selective abortions.

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Tejas Gandhi and his wife Priti were held for conducting gender-selective abortions
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Investigations in the Solapur female foeticide case have now revealed that government servants and candidates wanting to contest the local body elections may have used the services of the arrested doctor couple at Akluj to abort their unborn children. Government servants can avail of dependent benefits for only up to two children. For those who want to contest polls or have been elected to institutions like gram panchayats, panchayat samitis, zilla parishads and municipal bodies, the nominations and elections of those with over two children are liable to be set aside.

Last week, the Solapur police had arrested Tejas Gandhi, 43, and his wife Priti, 41, who ran the Siya Maternity and Surgical Home in Akluj for allegedly conducting sex determination and gender-selective abortions. The Gandhis are suspected to have conducted at least 36 abortions since May 2016. The facility did not have valid registrations to conduct medical termination of pregnancies (MTP).

"It has been established that female foeticides were happening… But all cases are not those of female foeticide," Mangesh Chavan, deputy superintendent of police (Akluj), told DNA. He added that those who wanted to contest the local body polls and government servants had also come to the couple to abort their third child.

"(This includes) those who want to contest the gram panchayat polls and government servants like primary teachers," said Chavan, adding they estimated this number to be around 10 to 12. He noted that government servants would lose benefits for over two children while those running for office in local bodies would be disqualified. Of the 36 cases, five seemed to be those of female foeticide. "While other professionals charged around Rs 20,000 to 25,000, the couple charged lower amounts ranging from Rs 7,000 to Rs 13,000 as per the condition of the patients," said Chavan.

The police are scrutinising CCTV footage from the maternity home to identify parents who had come there for abortions and sex determination. They are also likely to arrest a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel and his wife for allegedly aborting a female foetus. The couple can be seen entering the maternity home, meeting doctors and paying money.

So far, the police has managed to trace 12 couples who aborted their children and are trying to locate more. "We are trying to trace other families but the addresses are incorrect. It has been revealed that the doctor himself administered anesthesia to patients," said Arun Sawant, Police Inspector, Akluj Police Station. Chavan said they suspected that more medical practitioners in the area could be involved in such illegalities. The Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1994 (PCPNDT) aims at preventing misuse of pre-natal sex determination techniques for gender determination and female foeticide.

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