5 days ago
Maharashtra Sex-Selection Racket Moves Underground Amid Enforcement Gaps
Some people in Maharashtra are secretly trying to learn whether an unborn baby is a boy or a girl.
The law forbids finding out the sex of a baby for this purpose and forbids sex-selective abortions.
Health officials used a pregnant woman as a decoy to catch one group.
They found a small portable ultrasound machine and medicines at an unregistered centre.
Officials say these activities are moving from regular clinics into houses and temporary locations.
This makes them harder for police and health teams to find.
Many cases reach court, but fewer end in convictions.
The Supreme Court said strict enforcement is still needed because some families continue to prefer boys.
Unsafe abortions can seriously injure or kill women.
A Maharashtra sting operation seized a portable sonography machine and medicines from an unregistered centre on August 1.
Officials say illegal sex determination and abortions are shifting to homes, temporary premises and portable machines.
The state recorded 899 girls per 1,000 boys at birth during 2022-24, with the urban ratio falling to 885.
Maharashtra registered 627 PCPNDT Act cases between March 2024 and March 2026, with 127 convictions reported.
Authorities and the Supreme Court say enforcement must continue while society confronts persistent preference for male children.
- Who
- Maharashtra health officials, alleged agents and unregistered operators, pregnant women and families seeking illegal services.
- What
- Authorities are investigating and prosecuting illegal foetal sex determination and sex-selective abortions conducted through underground networks.
- Where
- Maharashtra, including areas linked to Akola, Buldhana, Washim, Malegaon, Kolhapur and Vijayapur.
- When
- A sting operation took place on August 1; enforcement figures cited cover March 2024 to March 2026, and the Supreme Court ruling was issued on June 11, 2026.
- Why
- Officials say the operations are driven by preference for male children and are shifting to homes and portable equipment to evade detection.
Enforcement Progress
Continuing Gaps
State response
Enforcement Progress
Officials say inspections, decoy operations, raids and prosecutions have intensified, with nearly all 11,837 registered sonography centres inspected during the cited period.
Continuing Gaps
The underground shift to homes, temporary premises and portable machines makes routine inspections less effective and allows operators to evade authorities.
Court outcomes
Enforcement Progress
Authorities say cases can lead to sealed machines, FIRs, prosecutions and convictions under the PCPNDT Act; 127 convictions were reported in the cited figures.
Continuing Gaps
Of 625 cases disposed of by February 2025, 332 ended in acquittals or dismissals and 163 remained pending, showing a substantial gap between filing cases and securing convictions.
Underlying cause
Enforcement Progress
Public-health officials argue that strict enforcement remains necessary to prevent sex selection and protect women from dangerous abortions.
Continuing Gaps
Officials and advocates say enforcement alone cannot eliminate the demand, which is rooted in persistent social preference for male children and gender attitudes.
Key facts
- Sting seizure
- Officials seized a portable tablet-based sonography machine and medicines from an unregistered centre on August 1.
- People booked
- Three people were booked in connection with the operation.
- Birth sex ratio
- Maharashtra recorded 899 girls per 1,000 boys at birth during 2022-24.
- Urban trend
- The urban birth ratio fell from 908 to 885 girls per 1,000 boys over the period compared with a decade earlier.
- Cases and convictions
- Between March 2024 and March 2026, the state registered 627 court cases and reported 127 convictions.
- Decoy operations
- Officials conducted 118 decoy operations in 2025-26, with 13 successful operations.
- Medical disciplinary action
- Since June 2012, registrations of 62 doctors were cancelled by the Maharashtra Medical Council, 10 by the Maharashtra Council of Homoeopathy and four by the Medical Council of India.
Quotes
State Family Welfare Bureau official
Official from Maharashtra’s State Family Welfare Bureau
“Of 625 cases disposed of by February 2025, 127 ended in convictions, while 332 resulted in acquittals or dismissals. Another 163 cases were pending.”
indianexpress.com
“Between March 2024 and March 2026, the state registered 627 court cases under the Act, of which 127 resulted in convictions”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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