Portable sex determination racket busted in Bijnor, one held

Bijnor: An alleged prenatal sex determination racket using a portable ultrasound machine was busted in Bijnor’s Noorpur area during a raid by a Haryana PCPNDT team on Thursday evening.A joint enforcement team under the PCPNDT Act arrested Manoj Kumar, 27, while he was allegedly operating the machine. The ultrasound device was seized and sealed, while the vehicle allegedly used in the operation was impounded.Officials alleged that women from Haryana approached Kumar for prenatal sex determination tests, prompting the Haryana PCPNDT team to track his activities and coordinate with Bijnor authorities. Kumar allegedly conducted fetal sex determination tests using a portable ultrasound machine that was transported in a van and brought to specific locations only after receiving clients.Officials said the raid was carried out by a joint team led by Haryana PCPNDT nodal officer Dr Devendra Solanki and Bijnor PCPNDT nodal officer Dr Rajendra Prasad Vishwakarma. The team had received information that ultrasound examinations were being conducted at different locations in alleged violation of the PCPNDT Act.During questioning, Kumar claimed he had purchased the machine in 2008. However, officials said the equipment bore a manufacturing date of 2015, raising suspicion about the claim.Officials said Kumar had earlier been caught twice by teams from Haryana in similar cases but had secured bail. Authorities are examining whether he resumed the alleged operation after obtaining bail. “Ultrasound machines can only be operated in accordance with prescribed legal provisions and regulatory guidelines. Strict action will be taken against any violation of the PCPNDT Act,” Vishwakarma said.Authorities are continuing to question the accused to ascertain the duration of the alleged operation, possible accomplices and the extent of the network.