Sex determination: Odisha police turn heat on husbands
The Hindu
11 men who took their wives to the illegal centre to be proceeded against under PC and PNDT Act
A day after 13 persons were arrested on charges of their involvement in determination of sex of foetus in Odisha’s Ganjam district, Berhampur police turned the heat on husbands, who took their wives to the illegal centre in desire of sons.
“We have identified 11 men who were their wives at the illegal sex selection centre. They will be proceeded against under Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994,” Saravana Vivek M, Berhampur Superintendent of Police, told The Hindu on Saturday, May 28, 2022.
“We deliberately let husbands go from the spot as their arrest could have triggered a commotion. We did not want to put pregnant women under any kind of mental trauma. However, husbands have already been identified and made part of the investigation,” said Mr. Vivek.
The police also came to know that husbands of some of the pregnant women aborted the pregnancy upon finding that sex of the foetus was female. Police would go after these men too.
“This is a complicated case. We want to approach the case diligently and make it foolproof. People providing service of sex selection are not the only culprits. Husbands and family members of pregnant women are equally responsible,” he said.
For the first time in the enforcement of PCPNDT Act in Odisha, police have caught red-handed so many people including operator of centre, husbands, middlemen, and quack.
One Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) worker Rina Pradhan (40) of village Bhikapada under Khalikote police station was arrested by police for taking a pregnant woman for sex selection. ASHA workers are grassroots level primarily health activists and responsible for raising awareness about social and legal issues of sex selection. However, the accused ASHA worker did opposite to what was expected from her. Berhampur police suspect involvement more ASHA workers in the sex selection racket.
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