CUTTACK: A day after Alfa Healthcare Clinic in Cuttack was sealed for carrying out sex determination tests, police on Tuesday revealed that a racket was involved in it and there were several other nursing homes in the city against whom similar complaints have been filed.
Police raided Alfa Healthcare Clinic that was running without registration for the last six months at Kathagola Sahi. Its owner Prasanna Kumar Sahoo (38) was caught red-handed while carrying out the test. Both Prasanna and his assistant Basant Kumar Bardhan (20) were arrested and the clinic sealed in presence of ADMO&PH Dr Mamata Mohapatra.
While Prasanna is a resident of Panchagaon in Tigiria block, Basant belongs to Choudwar.
Police said that Prasanna, who was carrying out gender determination tests on pregnant women at his clinic, had studied up to only Plus Two. He learnt to operate the ultrasound machine and installed one in his clinic. Basant was assisting him in carrying out the tests.
Informing about the duo's modus operandi, police said that Prasanna had engaged brokers in 10 districts who used to arrange clients opting for sex determination of their foetus through ASHA workers.
At his clinic, Prasanna used to conduct at least 15 to 20 gender determination tests per day and for each such test, he used to charge Rs 5,000. "The raid was conducted following reports that women from neighbouring districts were coming to Cuttack for the test and paying hefty sums for the same," said ACP Ajay Das.
He used to then send the pregnant women who wanted medical termination of pregnancy to some other nursing homes in the city.
Under Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994, gender determination is illegal. ACP Das said police have collected information on illegal gender determination being done in some other nursing homes in Cuttack.
"We have started examining these nursing homes and strict action will be taken against anyone found violating the PCPNDT Act by determining gender and pregnancy determination," said Das.