CHENNAI: A government doctor, who is an assistant professor at the Government Medical College in Sivaganga, was caught red-handed by a special vigilance team from Chennai while revealing the sex of foetus to a pregnant woman acting as decoy.
Dr Arun Dhandapani (45) collected money from another woman, also a decoy, who was part of the special team, but asked her to come after a month as the scan result was not clear to reveal the sex of the foetus.
Dhandapani has been doing this for years, sources in the Directorate of Medical Services told Express, adding that he has been running a clinic at Kalaiyar Koil for a decade.
In the recent past, sources said, he had stopped attending work at the medical college, remaining fully engaged at the clinic.
“We have been receiving many complaints against him. It was discussed during the infant mortality rate meet recently,” said Dr M Vijayan Mathamadakki, Joint Director of Health Services, Sivaganga district.
The clinic is popular among women in Ramanathapuram, Madurai and other neighbouring districts, from where women visit in large numbers to know the sex of foetus. “This has certainly had an effect on the sex ratio in these districts,” said M Kamala Kannan, Superintendent, Directorate of Medical Services, who was part of the operation.
The officials first launched a close surveillance on the doctor and his activities and a trap was set about three months ago.
When they finally decided to go ahead with the plan to catch him red-handed, officials received help from two pregnant women who acted as decoys. One was five months pregnant, while the other was carrying for three months. Two groups were formed with a group of officials attached to the pregnant women.
“When Dr N Rukmani, Joint Director of Health Services for Madurai, took the five-month pregnant woman for scan, the doctor took `3,000 and revealed the sex,” said Kamala Kannan. Dhandapani took money from the other woman too, but asked her to return after a month as the scan result was not clear.
During the investigation, officials found that Dhandapani’s wife, who died three days ago, was a gynaecologist.
So the scan centre was a licensed one. Officials said they suspected the doctor of performing abortion of unwanted pregnancies as well, after finding termination pills stored in his clinic.
The doctor will be charged under Sections 23 (revealing of sex) and 29 (not maintaining documents) of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, they said.
“As he is a government doctor, his service will be terminated if the charges against him are proven in the court. Also, a complaint will be forwarded subsequently to the Tamil Nadu Medical Council to cancel his licence to practice,” said another official.