A doctor couple in Manapparai in Tiruchirapalli district of Tamil Nadu were arrested on Monday for allowing their 15-year-old son to perform a Caesarian section in their clinic.
Dr Murugesan and Dr Ganthimathi, who run a clinic in Manapparai, were arrested after an official enquiry ordered by the district administration found them guilty of malpractice.
The surgery was performed some time in April on a 20-year-old mother by Dhileepan Raj, a 10th grade student, under the supervision of his father, N Murugesan, a surgeon.
The boy’s mother, Ganthimathi, a gyneacologist, was also present. The two were arrested on the basis of a complaint lodged by the Deputy Director of Health Services, Tiruchy, who was part of the team which probed the issue.
Impersonation
Tiruchy District Superintendent of Police Rajasekharan told Deccan Herald that the two had been booked under various sections of the IPC, dealing with cheating, impersonation, causing grievous hurt and endangering the lives of persons, read with relevant sections of the Medical Council of India Act.
If found guilty, they face punishment ranging from three to ten years in jail. Mr Rajasekharan said that a search was on for Dhileepan Raj, who was absconding.
Tiruchi District Collector Ashish Vachani said that the boy would be booked under the Juvenile Justice Act.
The state government will refer the matter to the TN Medical Council. Simultaneously, the Joint Director of Medical Services, Tiruchy, will take action against the doctors’ clinic under the Pre-natal Diagnostic Test Act of 1993, a central act that bars determination of the child’s sex before birth. He said records showed that several sex determination tests had been done at the scanning centre attached to the clinic.
Mr Vachani denied that Dr Murugesan’s niece Nila (20) was the patient.
Mr Vachani said the doctors obtained the patient’s consent by telling her that the surgery would be done by a surgeon, while an anaesthetist would administer anaesthesia.