Rewari: An alleged illegal foetal sex-determination racket was busted in Rewari in a joint operation by the health department and police, with two alleged middlemen arrested and Rs 64,500 seized, officials said.Acting on information about a deal for an illegal sex-determination test, health officials, along with teams from Sonipat and Panipat and the Rewari PC-PNDT unit, launched a decoy operation around 10pm on Sunday.Officials said the suspects had brought a pregnant woman from Sonipat to Rewari and agreed to conduct the test for Rs 65,000. A decoy woman was sent to establish the transaction, and the suspects allegedly collected the money at Nagarik Hospital.She was then taken towards Dharuhera, where a referral slip for an ultrasound was allegedly arranged at a private hospital. She was later taken to an ultrasound centre in Model Town.Before the examination could take place, the suspects allegedly became suspicious and fled. Police tracked and arrested Rahul and Ramniwas, assistant sub-inspector Vibhu Ranjan, investigating officer at Model Town police station, said. “Two persons, Rahul and Ramniwas, were arrested during the police action, and Rs 64,500 was recovered from them,” he said.The accused were produced before a court and sent to judicial custody. Rewari PC-PNDT nodal officer Dr Vidyasagar said the role, if any, of the private hospital and ultrasound centre would be examined. Investigators will also probe whether others were involved.Foetal sex determination and disclosure of the sex of an unborn child are prohibited under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act.
