One held for carrying out illegal abortions

PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 19

The health officials on Saturday nabbed a woman for allegedly carrying out abortions in illegal manner. The authorities found equipment used for abortions.

She was caught following a tip-off that she was working as midwife and indulging in the inhuman and illegal act of termination of pregnancy after taking money.

Dr HS Ghai, Civil Surgeon, said the woman was identified as Bhagwant Kaur. She has been doing the abortions in a room of her house. “We received specific input that Bhagwant Kaur, a resident of Naraingarh, was illegally carrying out abortions. On this a decoy patient with two-and-half-month of pregnancy was sent to expose her,” he said.

The woman agreed to conduct abortion at Rs 10,000 which was recovered from her centre. The health authorities also took along a police team. From the spot, the health officials found the equipment and medicines used for abortions.

Immediately, the woman was nabbed and handed over to the police. Dr Ghai said action had been initiated under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, Drugs and Cosmetic Act and Section 312 of the IPC against her.

Besides Dr Ghai among the health officials that raided the spot include Dr RS Sethi, Dr Surinder Kumar from Jalandhar and Dr Sukwhinder Singh from Nawanshahr.

Dr Ghai said further investigations were under progress by the police to ascertain for how long she was into this illegal act of conducting abortions, and who are among others involved in the racket if any.