Ultrasound centre owner held for destroying records

Police on Monday arrested the owner of an ultrasound centre at Raikot in Jagraon for allegedly destroying records of the ultrasound test report of a rape victim in connivance with the main accused, the girl’s teacher, and his wife.

The police on Sunday had summoned Parminder Singh Sandhu, owner of the Sandhu Scan Centre, to join the investigation. The number of accused arrested in the case has reached seven.

The police on Thursday had arrested the main accused, a Punjabi teacher, and officiating principal (a teacher when the incident took place) of the school, where the victim studies, after a four-minute audio clip, in which the two are discussing means of getting the foetus of the 16year-old girl aborted, went viral on WhatsApp.

Besides, the police have arrested the Punjabi teacher’s wife, a staff nurse at the Raikot civil hospital, a mathematics teacher, Sandhu scan centre assistant Jagtar Singh and a village panchayat member in this connection.

The police on Monday said the victim’s foetus was aborted at a Raikot hospital only. Ludhiana senior superintendent of police (SSP rural) Surjit Singh said earlier Sandhu feigned ignorance about the matter.

The SSP said Sandhu carried the victim’s ultrasound scan and destroyed the report for money. He has forged the hospital record and mentioned that the girl had undergone ultrasound scan for irregular menstruation cycle and that she had developed cyst in her gall bladder.

“We also suspect his degree to be fake. We will ask the health department to check the veracity of his degree. It has also been found that his assistant Jagtar Singh is also not qualified. The police will also request the health department to check records of the scan centre,” the SSP said.

“All the arrested accused are in police custody. A police team is trying to collect evidence from the hospital where the victim’s foetus was aborted,” he added.

The SSP said more arrests are likely in this connection.

While the Punjabi teacher has been booked under Section 376 (rape) of the IPC, Sections 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Child from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act,

Section 3 of SC/ST Act, Section 67 of IT Act, the officiating principal was booked under Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC, Section 3 of SC/ST Act, Section 67 of IT Act. The rest were booked under Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) the IPC.

16YROLD UNDERWENT ABORTION, BUT SANDHU ALLEGEDLY CHANGED RECORD TO SAY SHE HAD CYST IN GALL BLADDER; POLICE ALSO SUSPECT HE HAS A FAKE DEGREE