TIRUPATTUR: Two persons were arrested by Jolarpet police officials in Tirupattur district late on Monday for their alleged involvement in illegal prenatal sex determination. Among the four accused, two remain at large, according to police sources. The joint operation leading to the arrest of the accused was carried out by authorities from the Tirupattur and Krishnagiri administrations.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Iyyappan (29), son of Duraisamy, and his wife Ganga Gowri (27), a pregnant woman herself, both residents of Pasumai Nagar in Tirupattur. They are purportedly the brokers running the sex determination racket.
The other two accused are Karpagam, who performed the procedure, and Niyamathullah, who is reported to be another broker and a quack from Krishnagiri district. At present, Iyyappan and Ganga Gowri have been apprehended, while efforts are underway to locate the remaining two.
As per police reports, the Krishnagiri administration received a tip-off about a prenatal sex determination ring operating in the district, with assistance from prenatal scans conducted in Tirupattur. Acting on the tip-off, the Tirupattur Joint Director for Health Services conducted a raid in Pasumai Nagar, near Jolarpet, on Monday.
During the operation, Iyyappan and Ganga were found in possession of a portable scanning machine in their residence. Subsequent investigations revealed that the couple was residing in a rented house and was using it as a base for prenatal sex determination for the past six months or so. Karpagam from Dharmapuri was identified as the supplier of the scanning machine, while Iyyappan a broker.
The rented house, owned by a staff nurse from Tirupattur Government Hospital, raised further suspicions. Although the nurse’s residence is located adjacent to Iyyappan’s rented accommodation, as opposed to being part of the same property, reports have been forwarded to the Directorate of Medical Services for further action against her.
Modus operandi
Pregnant mothers from neighbouring districts were brought to Iyyappan’s rented home in Pasumai Nagar where Karpagam conducted the scan. Upon confirmation of a female foetus, Niyamathullah, the quack doctor from Kaveripattinam, Krishnagiri, allegedly carried out the abortion process, police sources said.