Doctor who did 900 illegal abortions arrested

Bengaluru: Bengaluru police have arrested a medical doctor who allegedly performed 900 illegal abortions in the last three years, or 20 every month, under an elaborate sex-determination-cum-female foeticide racket. 

Dr Chandan Ballal and his lab technician, Nisar, were arrested last week, police sources said. Dr Ballal reportedly charged around Rs 30,000 for each abortion. 

According to police, Dr Ballal carried out the abortions at Mysuru's Matha Hospital, whose manager, Meena, and receptionist Rizma Khan were arrested about two weeks ago. 

Police believe the racket was started by Tulasiram, a doctor from Chennai, who has also been arrested. Police busted the racket on October 15 after intercepting two suspects — Shivalinge Gowda of Mysuru and Nayan Kumar of Mandya — on Old Madras Road. The duo was allegedly taking a pregnant woman to Mandya in their car. 

Police chased their car and detained them for questioning. The suspects led the police to a jaggery-making unit at Hosahalli in Mandya that doubled up as an ultrasound scan centre. 

Police found a portable scan machine that neither had the stipulated authorisation sticker nor the registration number. The suspects didn't have any documents about the machine either. 

According to police, the machine can only be registered in the name of a doctor. While such machines come with registered numbers, police found that the sticker was removed. 

Police believe the machine was sourced from an electronic goods repairer identified as Siddesh. It was a junked machine repaired by Siddesh, who is currently absconding. 

According to a police officer close to the investigation, the machine can be used only on authorisation from the District Health Officer (DHO). 

"Users must register the machine. In this case, too, the machine was duly registered because there was no other way of procuring it. But we need to investigate how it ended up with the gang. This will become clear only after Siddesh is arrested,” the officer said. 

“The machine can be junked only through the authorised officer. It's highly unlikely that it was thrown away randomly," he added 

Police believe Dr Ballal and Dr Tulasiram colluded with the former's relative T M Veeresh for the racket. 

“Dr Tulasiram’s mother used to do abortions. He later took it up as a side business and eventually colluded with Ballal,” an officer said. 

The doctors offered Veeresh a commission if he referred couples looking to opt for abortions if they were unhappy with the gender of the foetus. 

The suspects have been booked under the Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act and IPC Section 312 (causing miscarriage).