NEW DELHI: The High Court has dismissed charges against a doctor accused of illegally revealing a foetus’s gender, ruling that there was insufficient evidence to support the claims.
The case, which involved alleged violations of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC and PNDT) Act, hinged on a sting operation conducted in August 2020 at a Hari Nagar ultrasound center.
Justice Chandra Dhari Singh observed, “There is no material on record to establish that the procedure carried out by the petitioner (doctor) violated the law.”
The court further noted that the alleged gender disclosure was reportedly made by a laboratory employee, not the doctor herself. The FIR had accused the doctor of facilitating the disclosure.
Justice Singh also criticised the delay in the investigation, emphasising the need to prevent further harassment. “The inordinate delay in filing the charge sheet reinforces the view that the FIR is liable to be quashed,” the judgment stated.