Mysuru, 23 Oct

Five people have been arrested for their alleged involvement in an organised female foeticide scam in Mysuru, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said on Thursday. The gang operated in Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s Varuna constituency.

The network, involved in illegal sex determination tests and sex-selective abortion, is suspected to have links to a similar racket reported from Mandya two years ago.

Health authorities managed to trap those involved in foeticide at Hunaganahalli village on Bannur road.  

Health authorities in Nagamangala and Mandya launched an investigation after a woman had reported about the incident, Mysuru District Health Officer Dr PC Kumaraswamy told Salar.

The uncovered an illegal scanning operation used to determine the sex of the foetus at a secluded farmhouse some 13 kms away from Mysuru city.

A team of health authorities carried out the raid with police, caught the accused red handed and seized the ultrasound scanning machines, medicines, and  tablets for medical pregnancy termination. Four pregnant women were present at the scene.

The network was run out of the private SK Hospital.

Police arrested the owner Shyamala, in presence of her brother Govindaraju, agent Puttaraju and the family members of two pregnant women who were at the scene, Kumaraswamy said.

During the interrogation, Shyamala stated that they were targeting women from rural areas, charging Rs 25,000 for sex determination and up to Rs 1 lakh for medical termination of female foeticide.

Cases were also registered against the parents of pregnant women for encouraging the sex determination.