SURYAPET: Six people have been arrested over the death of a pregnant woman here following an illegal sex-determination test and a botched abortion. The woman’s husband, who allegedly forced her to undergo the abortion, and a doctor were among those arrested.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Sunpreet Singh on Monday said the victim, Suhasini, married Ratnawat Harisingh in 2019. The couple have two daughters. After she became pregnant recently, Ratnawat told Suhasini that he would leave her and marry someone else if she were to give birth to a girl again, the SP added at a press conference.
The victim underwent a sex-determination test at Guruvaiah Hospital in Kodad, where doctors confirmed that she was having a daughter. It must be noted that prenatal sex-determination is illegal in India under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC-PNDT) Act, 1994.
Subsequently, Ratnawat took her to the New Kamala Hospital in Huzurnagar for an abortion, the SP said. Sunpreet added that another accused, Dr Sheikh Qasim, administered some tablets to induce abortion. However, Suhasini experienced heavy blood loss and died here while being taken to Hyderabad for treatment.
Chivvemla police have registered a case against Ratnawat, Dr Qasim and four others under the PC-PNDT Act, the SP said, adding that all the accused have been arrested.