In an expose that reveals the dark underbelly of illegal medical practices, Ahmedabad rural police have arrested 58-year-old Harshad Acharya, a radiologist from Odhav, for his alleged involvement in a female feticide racket run out of a guesthouse in Bavla. The arrest follows the busting of an abortion network operating in blatant violation of legal and ethical standards.
According to a report by a national daily, the racket came to light after police, acting on specific intelligence and aided by the local health department, raided a guesthouse in Bavla area of Ahmedabad district.
During the raid, authorities also apprehended Hemlata Darji, a 40-year-old former nurse allegedly found performing abortions without any valid medical qualifications. She had reportedly spent over a decade working across private hospitals in Bavla and Dholka and had used her experience to carry out unauthorised pregnancy terminations.
Darji was the first to be arrested, but the investigation quickly led authorities to Acharya, who along with his wife ran the Ashirwad Imaging Centre in Soni Chawl, Odhav. It has come to light that Acharya was in constant contact with Darji and allegedly paid her around Rs 10,000 for every abortion performed.
The report gave a detailed description of Acharya’s clinic. The walls display conspicuous signage aimed at warding off suspicion. A poster in English reads: “No sex determination test is done here”, while another, in Gujarati, declares: “Ahiyan babo chhe ke baby kaheva ma aavtu nathi”. These signs were attempts to mask the sinister work, reports revealed.
Acharya, a so-called leading radiologist, allegedly had a method of disclosing the unborn child’s gender to expectant couples. “If he says ‘aashirwad (blessings)’ with a smile, then it is a boy, and if he says ‘theek thai jashe (everything will become alright)’ with a serious look, then it is a girl. Later, Hemlata would approach these patients and organise the pregnancy termination,” said a source.
Police have so far confirmed that at least five female feticides were carried out over a period of eight months. But senior officials believe the actual number may be higher.
Bavla police have registered an FIR. The probe now extends beyond the two prime accused, with authorities determined to trace the entire network, scrutinise financial transactions, and identify other sonography centres that might be complicit in this illicit operation.
Moreover, police are investigating whether other guesthouses or hotels in the region served as makeshift clinics for these illegal procedures.
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