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Women's groups seek case against doctors

Special Correspondent

Twenty-one doctors have been allegedly involved in sex determination tests during pregnancy in Rajasthan

JAIPUR: Women's groups in Rajasthan have demanded immediate action, including the registration of criminal cases, against 21 doctors allegedly involved in sex determination tests during pregnancy. A television news channel had recently exposed the activities of these doctors in its sting operations.

Women activists representing 16 organisations stormed into Swasthya Bhawan here on Thursday and staged a demonstration in protest against the State Government's failure to implement the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1994, alleging that it had led to a large number of female foeticide cases reported across the State.

The former chairperson of the State Women's Commission, Pawan Surana, who led the demonstration, pointed out that these cases had come to light in several towns such as Jaipur, Chittaurgarh, Ajmer, Hanumangarh, Sirohi, Kota, Bikaner, Jhalawar and Bhilwara, but the State Government had not initiated any action so far.

The activists told S.P. Yadav, who is the State Appropriate Authority under the Act, that sex selection was prohibited under the law and violation of the provision was punishable under Section 25 of the Act. Besides, action should be taken against the district authorities for their delay and inaction in these instances, they said.

Laad Kumari Jain of Rajasthan University Women's Association said Dr. Yadav refused to agree to a time-frame for registering cases under the Act. "Under the Act, a complainant may move the court if the Appropriate Authority does not initiate action within 15 days of receiving a notice. We have served a notice on Dr. Yadav,'' she said.

A memorandum given to the Appropriate Authority demanded immediate filing of criminal complaints before a Judicial Magistrate under Sec. 28(1)(a) of the Act and registration of first information reports against the erring doctors in the police stations concerned.

The women activists provided a list of doctors, mentioning that while 19 of them had agreed to abort the foetus after sex determination, one had identified the sex and tried to abort and another had asked for more money to disclose the sex of the unborn child.

Three of the erring women doctors were posted in the Government Hospital, Chittaurgarh.

Kavita Srivastava of People's Union for Civil Liberties pointed out that the only action launched in the cases was the cancellation of licences of sonography machines of some of the private clinics and suspension of the three Government doctors.

The Act, on the other hand, provides for prosecution of offenders in the court.

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