Daijiworld Media Network- Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad, May 28: In a major crackdown against illegal medical practices and female foeticide, the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Ahmedabad Rural Police on Monday unearthed an abortion racket being operated from a guesthouse in Bavla, Ahmedabad district.

Acting on specific intelligence inputs, the police team, accompanied by officials from the local health department, raided the guesthouse and apprehended 40-year-old Hemlata Darji — a former nurse accused of running the illicit operation. Police said Darji, who has worked for over a decade in private hospitals across Bavla and Dholka, had no valid medical qualifications and was performing abortions using her prior nursing experience.

According to police sources, Darji, along with an assistant, was caught red-handed during the raid while preparing to conduct an abortion on a woman who had arrived at the guesthouse for the procedure. A man accompanying the woman was also taken into custody.

Investigators recovered damning evidence indicating that Darji maintained contacts with local hospitals and sonography centres to obtain information about the sex of unborn children. Preliminary findings suggest that the racket was specifically aimed at terminating female fetuses, thus exposing a horrifying case of targeted female foeticide.

“She had identified the guesthouse as a discreet location for such operations, believing it would remain unnoticed,” said an officer involved in the investigation.

Further inquiry revealed that Darji kept detailed records of individuals seeking to abort female fetuses. She reportedly charged clients between Rs 10,000 and Rs 50,000, depending on their financial background. The procedures involved oral medication or injectable drugs, with patients staying at the guesthouse for one to two days.

An FIR has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act. Authorities have launched a thorough investigation to uncover the extent of Darji’s network, scrutinize her financial records, and identify any sonography centres engaged in unlawful sex determination.

Inspector A N Jani of Bavla police stated that efforts are now underway to track down other individuals linked to the operation and determine whether any abortions were performed beyond the legally permitted gestation period.

The police have termed the bust part of a district-wide crackdown on illegal medical activities and crimes against the girl child.