Stop Sex Determination and Sex Selective Abortions

Mrs. Vansundhara Raje,
Chief Minister,
Government of Rajasthan,
Jaipur

Subject: Demand for immediate action against 64 guilty doctors for violation of Pre-Conception & Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act (PC&PNDT Act)

Dear Madam,

As you are well aware that a private TV channel has exposed 64 doctors and their assistants openly violating Pre conception and Pre Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act (PC&PNDT Act) through a sting operation during months of May and June 2006. The clippings of the sting operation clearly show the doctors are instigating pregnant women for sex determination and female sex selective abortion. They were also caught on camera consenting to perform sex selective abortions.

We would like to bring to your notice that a very senior and responsible doctor from the biggest government hospital of Rajasthan was exposed stating, Rules are for the fools... which shows total disregard for the law.

We as concerned citizens of the world would like to state the following:

1. There are 64 doctors who have been exposed, violating PC&PNDT Act in Rajasthan, but the State Government has lodged complaints/FIRs against only 20 of the errant doctors on the 14th of May 2006 under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and of the PC&PNDT Act in a half hearted attempt after continuous pressure built by the various human rights and women's organisations. According to the PC & PNDT Act cases against all the guilty doctors are supposed to be booked by the Appropriate Authorities in the Courts of the first class magistrates. However, the Government chose to give the investigation to the police. Although the police have recorded the statement of a prime witness during the course of its investigation and has collected ample evidence, yet no charge sheet against the guilty doctors has been filed in the Courts of the first class magistrates. This action of the government clearly reflects their lack of interest in perusing these cases.

We demand immediate filing of charge sheets against the guilty doctors in the Courts of first class magistrates.

2. Secondly no cases have been registered in the Courts of the first class magistrate by Sate/district Appropriate Authorities against 43 guilty doctors violating the PC&PNDT Act openly, even though the TV Channel exposed them during the month of June 2006. Ample evidences are available with the government against all the guilty doctors.

Therefore we demand immediate action against the erring doctors by the various Appropriate Authorities in their respective Courts of the first class magistrates.

3. We also demand:
i. An immediate enquiry into the cases pertaining to misconduct of all
the guilty government doctors of Rajasthan under section 16 of
C.C.A Act.
ii. Immediate suspension of licenses of guilty doctors by the Rajasthan
Medical Council.
iii. Immediate cancellation of registration of private hospitals guilty
under the PC&PNDT Act and the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act
(MTP Act).
iv. Action against all related Appropriate Authorities including all
the Chief Medical and Health Officers of concerned districts, State
Appropriate Authority, Director of Health and Family Welfare,
Government of Rajasthan for their inaction.
v. The functioning of the State Supervisory Board should be
regularised and streamlined. The District Supervisory Committees
under the PC&PNDT Act should be re-constituted. Membership in these
committees should be granted to active civil society organizations
and regular meetings should be conducted.
vi. Immediate dismissal of police F.I.R against Journalist Mr. Shripal
Shaktawat (F.I.R No 257/2006) lodged by guilty doctors, on false
charges.
vii. Immediate public dissemination of the report by the Regional
Commissioner, Jaipur Shri Rajendra Bhanawat on the violation of the
law by Deep Hospital and Jhotwara Police Station and immediate
action against the concerned guilty officers.

We hope the above-mentioned actions will be taken immediately.