Authorities in Tamil Nadu’s Krishnagiri district have detained two people under the Goondas Act after they were allegedly found offering illegal foetal sex detection services, according to a report by Dinamalar. A portable scanning machine was also seized during the operation in Rayakottai.
The action followed an investigation by a district team formed to identify people posing as doctors and carrying out unauthorised medical activities. The team reportedly included officials who conducted checks at scan centres across Krishnagiri district with five pregnant women, including Krithika, a nurse at the Bevanatham sub-health centre.
During the checks, the team allegedly found that Esther, 32, from Pochampalli, was offering to identify whether an unborn child was male or female. The report said Esther did not have medical training.
On September 12, officials contacted Esther and asked her to identify the sex of the foetus of a woman named Krithika in Rayakottai. Esther allegedly quoted a fee of Rs 10,000 for the service. She later arrived at Krithika’s home in a car with Gurumurthy, 30, from the Pillayar Koil area of Sivarajapettai in Tiruppur district.
Following the officials’ inquiry, the scanning equipment was seized and both individuals were handed over to Rayakottai police. Police arrested them and lodged them in Salem prison, the report said.
The subsequent preventive detention action was initiated on the recommendation of Krishnagiri Superintendent of Police Anita. District Collector Dineshkumar then ordered that Esther and Gurumurthy be detained under the Goondas Act. Police served copies of the detention order on the two people at the prison.
The case highlights the role of district administrations in monitoring scan centres and investigating attempts to disclose the sex of unborn children. In this instance, the enforcement operation involved a district-level inspection team, pregnant women brought to different scan centres for checks, seizure of equipment and coordination between health officials, police and the district administration.
The report did not provide details of any further investigation into the source of the scanning machine, the location where it was allegedly operated or whether other people were involved. The latest administrative step reported is the serving of the preventive detention orders on the two detainees in Salem prison.
