Karnataka doctor arrested for '900 illegal abortions'

The Bengaluru police have arrested a doctor and his lab technician who allegedly performed around 900 illegal abortions in the last three years, officials said on Monday.

Dr Chandan Ballal and his lab technician Nisar allegedly charged around Rs 30,000 for each abortion which they carried out at a hospital in the district headquarters town of Mysuru. Both were taken into custody last week, they said.

The hospital’s manager, Meena, and receptionist, Rizma Khan, were arrested earlier this month, police said.

Police busted the sex-determination and female foeticide racket last month with the arrest of two accused—Shivalinge Gowda and Nayan Kumar—in the district headquarters town of Mandya, near Mysuru, when they were taking a pregnant woman for abortion in a car.

During questioning, the accused duo revealed a jaggery unit in Mandya, used as an ultrasound scan centre, from where a police team later seized the scan machine, which did not have valid authorisation or other official documents, a police officer said.

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“Preliminary enquiry has revealed that in the last three years, the accused doctor, along with his accomplices, has managed to perform around 900 illegal abortions at the Mysuru hospital and charged about Rs 30,000 for each abortion,” he said.

Further investigation is underway to nab other suspects, he added.