3 years on, police fail to trace people involved in dumping 18 foetuses

JALANDHAR: The Jalandhar police commissionerate and the rural police have failed to trace the unidentified people involved in dumping foetuses from April 2012 to June 2015, reveals right to information (RTI) query.

The RTI was filed by Hindustan Times under Right to Information Act, 2005. The information hints at an illegal practice of sex-selection abortion prevalent under the noose of the health department.

A total of 18 foetuses, including 10 of girls, were recovered by the police in the district.

According to the RTI a total of 12 cases were registered under Sections 318 (concealment of birth by secret disposal of a dead body) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in 14 police commissionerates.

The police have made four arrests in one case, while in the remaining 11 incidents the cops are still to make any headway. The rural police have registered six cases under the same Section of the IPC during the period.

On August 26, 2012, a case, where a half-eaten foetus was found near Sangha Chowk of Mithapur area, was registered under the Section.

Surinder Saini, a special invitee of state-level committee on Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act and Rules, claimed that it was disheartening that foetuses were being found by the police and the health department was not keeping vigil on the malpractices of the doctors. Saini added, “Illegal sex-selection abortion is still rampant under the noose of the health department and political interference is also a big problem in acting against accused doctors.” He, however, said increase in the sex ratio showed rise in awareness among people towards accepting the girl child.

District family and welfare (DFW) officer Gurmeet Kaur Duggal claimed that the health department was regularly conducting inspections.