Inquiry against NGO-run hospital for aborting foetus

 While there has been a increase in awareness against female foeticide, a NGO-run hospital here has aborted a fully developed foetus, albeit a male, on the insistence of the ‘mother’.

Ambuja, the mother and a victim of alleged sexual assault, had conceived twice in the last one year, but owing to Mahadeva’s insistence agreed to abort the foetuses. “Mahadeva had forced me to abort fearing it may affect our marriage plans. I used to consume native medicine to avoid pregnancy,” said Ambuja.

While there is no information on abortion of the first foetus, the documents available with Ambuja shows the second foetus was a seven-month-old male, weighing 740 grams, and was aborted at Vivekananda Memorial Hospital at Sargur, run by Vivekananda Institute for Leadership Development (V-LEAD) an NGO, between February 19 and 22.

The hospital has charged Rs 4,350 for the abortion and discharge bill has mentioned Mahadeva as Ambuja’s husband, said Chairman of Expert Committee on Prevention of Sexual Violence Against Women and Children and MLC V S Ugrappa, who visited the hamlet on Sunday.

He also went through the bill available with Ambuja. This has prompted the committee to direct authorities to conduct an inquiry against the hospital.

Child marriage
Ambuja was also a victim of child marriage. She was married at an early age, but separated from her husband later. According to her, she was too young to understand the concept of marriage and thus separated from her husband nearly seven years ago.

Stays alone
Ambuja’s mother passed away a few years ago and her father, Kaala, 65, lives alone next to Ambuja’s house.
Her younger brother, who married two years ago, too lives separately. Now, what is curious is that despite all the three houses in the vicinity, how Mahadeva had managed to spend most nights with Ambuja at her house for the past three years. But, villagers too, claimed that Mahadeva used to visit Ambuja regularly.

Vain bid
However, when their relationship came to light, some of the relatives of Mahadeva and villagers tried to separate them. Ambuja was offered Rs 25,000 by Sannappa, a relative of Mahadeva, besides another Rs 50,000 from a village elder from Mahadeva’s community, alleged Ambuja.

“His family members are planning to arrange his marriage with a girl from wealthy family. I don’t have money or any property,” bemoaned Ambuja.