The investigation by Pune Rural police into an illegal sex determination ring has revealed notable connections to a similar case being examined by Pune City police in Wagholi. This raises concerns about the existence of an extensive network operating throughout the district. Both inquiries have uncovered the use of portable ultrasound devices for conducting illicit sex determination tests in the homes of expectant mothers. They also highlight the reliance on referrals through word-of-mouth in rural and semi-urban locales, alongside links to numerous medical professionals allegedly involved in unlawful abortions that contribute to female foeticide. Furthermore, investigators noted that both operations acquired their portable sonography machines from the same supplier.
An FIR lodged at the Wagholi police station on March 5 is currently under the scrutiny of Pune City police, while a related case filed at Yavat police station on May 20 is being investigated by Pune Rural police. The situation in Wagholi arose from an operation orchestrated by the Crime Branch of Pune City police, which involved a female constable acting as an undercover patient. After confirming the illegal activities, law enforcement executed a raid and reportedly apprehended two suspects engaged in the illicit procedure. The individuals arrested, identified as 32-year-old Akash Subhash Malgunde and 52-year-old Narendra Sahebrao Thakre, were caught in the act. According to police reports, Malgunde utilized a portable ultrasound device paired with a mobile phone via Bluetooth, enabling real-time viewing of sonography images through a dedicated application. The investigation is currently probing the involvement of various doctors who purportedly performed abortions following sex determination conducted by Malgunde and Thakre, with Thakre also identified as the supplier of the ultrasound equipment and acting as a patient liaison.
Senior Inspector Nandkumar Gaikwad from Wagholi police station stated, “To date, we have arrested three individuals who are now in judicial custody. Additional suspects have been identified, and we are actively searching for them. A chargesheet has been submitted, and the investigation continues.”
The Pune Rural police’s inquiry commenced on May 14 after a government medical officer encountered a video depicting a woman undergoing illegal sex determination via sonography. Upon thorough examination of the video and confirmation of its illegality, an offense was registered at Yavat police station under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act. Authorities have since arrested the primary suspect, Annasahabe Giri, a 43-year-old self-proclaimed doctor with a Class 12 education, along with Dr. Atul Jadhav from Wagholi, who allegedly conducted abortions following the sex determination tests. Additionally, two other doctors, Dr. Sundaram Kadam and Dr. Mandar Mali, have been implicated. Investigations revealed that Thakre, a suspect in the Wagholi case, supplied the portable ultrasound machine to Giri. He has also been named in the Yavat case, and Pune Rural police are expected to request his custody from judicial detention shortly. Superintendent of Police Sandeep Singh Gill indicated that around 15 doctors are currently under investigation.
A senior police official remarked, “There are numerous similarities and linkages between these two cases. Initially, they were predominantly located in the Shirur area, but they have gradually expanded to include adjacent districts. Both investigations uncovered the use of portable ultrasound devices connected to mobile phones to conduct illegal sex determination tests within the residences of pregnant women. This allowed operators to evade detection by discreetly relocating their equipment and performing procedures outside of regulated medical settings. The reliance on informal referrals in rural and semi-urban regions facilitated the quiet expansion of these operations through trusted local networks without leaving a formal record.”
The officer further explained, “Both operations are tied to numerous doctors allegedly involved in illegal abortions that lead to female foeticide, suggesting a broader system where diagnostic results were purportedly transformed into follow-up termination procedures in violation of the law. Investigators have also uncovered that both rackets obtained their portable sonography machines from a shared supplier—Thakre—indicating a common procurement pathway that may have enabled the proliferation and persistence of such illegal activities across both networks. We have strong reasons to believe that these connections are not merely coincidental and that a more extensive network is functioning within the district.” The investigation has revealed that these operations were performing between 30 to 50 sex determinations monthly, charging approximately Rs 50,000 for each case.
