Maharashtra Gears Up to Crack Down on Illegal Sex‑Determination Networks

In a move that underscores the state’s growing frustration with clandestine sex‑selection rings, Maharashtra’s health officials are convening a high‑profile review meeting on July 20. The gathering, chaired by Shiv Sena stalwart and Legislative Council member Neelam Gorhe, will focus on how the Pre‑Conception and Pre‑Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act and the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act are being enforced in Pune, Satara, Solapur and Sangli districts.

The meeting has been called by Dr. Vijay Kandewad, Director of Health Services (Primary). Expecting a room full of senior health bureaucrats, district surgeons, district health officers and municipal medical officers, the agenda is anything but routine. It will sift through the actions taken so far, map out coordination gaps among police, health and other agencies, and brainstorm fresh ways to stop the misuse of portable ultrasound machines, illegal abortion networks and the shadowy money trails that keep them afloat.

The urgency is palpable. In May 2026, police uncovered what appears to be a well‑organised sex‑determination racket in Kedgaon, a village in Daund taluka. Investigations quickly revealed that the same network was operating in Pune, Satara, Solapur and Sangli, linking doctors, middlemen and private clinics in a disturb­ing pattern of illegal prenatal testing and selective abortions.

During the Monsoon Session of the Maharashtra Legislative Council, Gorhe used Rule 97 to highlight the problem, lamenting the patchy implementation of the PCPNDT and MTP Acts and the weak inter‑departmental coordination. “These are not isolated offences,” she warned, “they form an organised network that threatens the child‑sex ratio. We need strong coordination between health officials, police and civil society, plus community awareness, to dismantle it.”

At the centre of the probe is a case registered at Yavat police station on May 20. Over several months, investigators say, a clandestine operation carried out illegal sex‑determination tests and abortions across a swathe of towns, from Kedgaon in Pune district to Phaltan in Satara. So far, nine individuals—five of them doctors—have been taken into custody, including Dr Atul Ankush Jadhav and Dr Sangeeta Pandurang Gaikwad.

Two key accused remain at large: Dr Mandar Mali, who runs a private hospital in Kikvi (Bhor taluka), and Dr Sundaram Kadam of a clinic in Uruli Kanchan. Both have gone missing, though Dr Mali recently applied for anticipatory bail. The Special Investigation Team, led by Santosh Tasgaonkar of Yavat police, continues to chase leads.

Gorhe’s meeting is expected to set a firmer tone for enforcement, perhaps recommending stricter penalties for violators, tighter monitoring of ultrasound equipment, and a faster reporting mechanism for suspicious activities. The hope is that a blend of legal muscle, media vigilance and grassroots outreach will finally tip the balance in favour of gender equity.

While the road ahead is steep, the state’s decision to bring together health and law‑enforcement heads signals a decisive shift—from reactive policing to a more coordinated, preventive strategy aimed at safeguarding the rights of the unborn, regardless of gender.