Jharkhand: Woman dies during abortion after prenatal sex determination test, 2 arrested

Dhanbad, Oct 29 (IANS) A woman in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad died during a botched abortion procedure following illegal foetal sex determination at a diagnostic centre. The incident has once again brought into focus clinics that still carry out the banned procedures.

Prenatal sex determination and gender selection are strictly illegal in India under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC-PNDT) Act, 1994.

Following the incident, the police have arrested the victim’s husband and the operator of the diagnostic centre.

The deceased woman has been identified as Kiran Kumari.

According to officials, the deceased woman’s family has made serious allegations that her husband decided to force an abortion after learning that the fetus was female.

Acting swiftly in the case, the police arrested the woman’s husband, Sonu Kewat, and the operator of Central Diagnostic Centre located at Shyamdih Chowk, Sachin Kewat. The diagnostic center has also been sealed.

The victim’s brother, Chandrika Kumar, said that Kiran was three to four months pregnant. The couple already had a daughter. Family members allege that after the second pregnancy, the husband arranged for a sex determination test and, upon discovering that the foetus was a girl, pressured her into undergoing an illegal abortion.

According to the allegations, Kiran suffered excessive bleeding during the abortion procedure, causing her condition to deteriorate rapidly. She was rushed to Sanjeevani Hospital, where doctors declared her dead.

Angered by her death, family members staged a protest at the hospital premises and demanded strict legal action against those responsible. They also alleged that doctors and adequate medical assistance were not available in time at the hospital.

Katras Sub-Divisional Police Officer Ajit Kumar Vimal confirmed the incident, stating that as soon as information was received, a police team reached the spot and began an investigation. Preliminary findings suggest that the death resulted from an improperly conducted abortion and severe blood loss.

A team from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) has also been called in to conduct scientific and technical examinations of all aspects of the case.

–IANS

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