Thiruvananthapuram: The health department authorities have allegedly refused to charge a case against the owner of an illegal foetus scanning centre in Ernakulam district due to political pressure. Last week, Ernakulam DMO Dr Hazeena Mohammed seized scanning equipment from a centre at Perumpadapu but the owner was let off after slapping a fine of Rs 10, 000.
Dr Sabu George, petitioner in the Supreme Court on the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, who has been campaigning against female foeticide for three decades, told DC that the health department had violated the Supreme Court order and that the officials were liable to be prosecuted.
Dr Hazeena told DC that this was the first time the health authorities had conducted raids at scanning centres after illegal scanning was brought to the notice of the district-level committee in which government pleader, DMO and additional DMO are members. But she denied the allegation about the role of a ruling Congress MLA from Kochi who put pressure on her against charging a case against the offender.
“The scanning equipment was seized after it was found that the Lifescan attached to Fathima Hospital was not registered and a proper register was not made available there. This scanning centre has been in the business for the last three years. Since it was the first time, we have let them off after making them pay a fine of Rs 10, 000 as per the PNDT Act, Dr Hazeena told DC.
Principal health secretary Dr K. Elangovan said that normally compoundable offences are charged with fine.
“This is the first time that raids were undertaken and I understand that they have been let off with a fine of Rs 10,000,” he said. Dr Sabu said the department officials have violated the SC order. They can be prosecuted as first accused but they seem to be ignorant of the Act, ” he said. Additional director of health services (family welfare), Dr N. Sreedhar, opined that the offender should not have been allowed to go scot-free.
