Nagpur, Nov 15 — In a major crackdown on illegal sex-determination practices in the city, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s Health Department has exposed a clandestine operation involving two doctors under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act. This is the first time the civic body has executed such a large-scale action against gender-testing in Nagpur.
According to officials, the Health Department received confidential information about illegal sex determination being conducted in a covert manner. Acting on the intel, the department planned a sting operation and deployed a dummy pregnant woman at Shivam Hospital in Vardhman Nagar, run by BAMS practitioner Dr. Rekha Shirsat.
During the interaction, Dr. Shirsat initially denied the request but later demanded ₹60,000 to reveal the unborn child’s gender, telling the patient, “Pay the money, and we will tell you whether it is a boy or a girl.” After the dummy patient agreed to pay, Dr. Shirsat allegedly directed her to another location for the sonography.
On Friday, the woman first deposited ₹50,000 at the hospital. An agent then took her on a bike to Sadar, nearly 8–10 km away. Since no test was carried out that day, the money was returned.
The next day, the agent again transported the patient to Dr. Rajeev Nagi’s sonography centre located at Sarafa Chamber in Sadar. With the lift non-functional, the woman had to walk up three floors to reach the clinic. There, Dr. Nagi allegedly conducted the sonography and disclosed the foetal gender, after which the agent escorted her back to Shivam Hospital.
Sonography Centre Sealed
Following the confirmation of the illegal act, a team from the Municipal Corporation, accompanied by police personnel, immediately raided Dr. Nagi’s clinic. The premises were found locked. When contacted, Dr. Nagi informed the officials that he was “out of station.” The centre was subsequently sealed with police assistance. The civic team had meticulously prepared recording evidence for the sting.
Civic Chief Lauds the Operation
The operation was carried out under the guidance of Municipal Health Officer Dr. Deepak Selokar and led by Additional Medical Health Officers Dr. Narendra Bahirwar and Dr. Sarla Lad. Municipal Commissioner and Administrator Dr. Abhijit Chaudhary, along with Additional Commissioner Vasumana Pant, congratulated and appreciated the entire team for the successful action.
The team included Assistant Commissioner Vijay Thool, Pradeep, Dipali Nagare, Advocate Bhise from Civil Surgeon’s Office, Zonal Medical Officers Dr. Atik Khan and Dr. Khwaja, Sitabuldi Police’s Rupali, along with NMC staffers Chintu Borkar and Siddhesh Thamke. Further investigation is underway through Sadar and Nandanvan police stations.
