Pune Sex Determination Racket Busted; Main Accused Used China-Made Device
The prime accused is educated up to Class 12 and allegedly used a portable, Chinese-made ultrasound device linked to a mobile application to determine the sex of foetuses, they said on Wednesday.
By : PTI
Update: 2026-06-04 05:10 GMT
Pune: The police have claimed to have busted an illegal sex determination racket by arresting two persons, including an Ayurvedic doctor, in Pune district, with investigators attempting to unearth the "referral" network and suspected abortion of female fetuses, officials said.
The prime accused is educated up to Class 12 and allegedly used a portable, Chinese-made ultrasound device linked to a mobile application to determine the sex of foetuses, they said on Wednesday.
The case came to light after a video clip from Daund tehsil, purportedly showing illegal sex determination activities, surfaced on social media. An investigation was launched after health authorities lodged a complaint.
The prime accused, identified as Annasaheb Giri (42), allegedly carried out prenatal sex determination tests despite having no medical qualifications.
"Giri told the police that he had been involved in the illegal activity since 2024. He is not a doctor and has only studied up to Class 12. He claimed to have briefly enrolled for a B Pharmacy course but dropped out after failing in the first year," said Narayan Deshmukh, senior police inspector, Yavat police station.
He said Giri allegedly used a portable, Chinese-made ultrasound device linked to a mobile application via Bluetooth to determine the sex of foetuses. Police have seized the machine used in the operation.
According to investigators, Giri allegedly charged between Rs 5,000 and Rs 15,000 for conducting the tests and referred women seeking abortions to doctors linked to the network.
A BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery)-qualified doctor, identified as Atul Jadhav of Wagholi, has also been arrested in the case, while two other doctors are absconding.
Investigators suspect the accused operated through a referral-based system in which patients were directed to Giri for sex determination tests and subsequently referred to doctors willing to perform abortions.
Police said the racketeers maintained a high degree of secrecy, making it difficult to identify beneficiaries or determine the exact number of illegal procedures carried out.
"Giri claimed he used to examine around 15 to 20 women every month, but that does not necessarily mean all of them underwent abortions. We are verifying the claims and examining digital communications and other evidence," the officer said.
Police are also seeking custody of another accused, Narendra Thakare, who allegedly supplied the ultrasound machine to Giri. Thakare was arrested in a similar case registered elsewhere and will be questioned in the present investigation.
"The investigation is continuing to identify other persons involved in the racket and ascertain the extent of illegal sex determination tests and abortions facilitated through the network. He was in contact with a few doctors also," the officer added.
Citing a preliminary investigation, Pune (Rural) Superintendent of Police Sandip Singh Gill said Giri conducted 30 to 50 examinations in a month.
If a female fetus was detected, he allegedly referred the case to other doctors involved in the racket, he said.
"Giri has been involved in this activity for the last two to three years. However, we have yet to ascertain the exact number of abortions carried out. The figure will become clear once we obtain and verify the documentary evidence," Gill said.
A case has been registered under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC& PNDT) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.