Probe finds at least 3000 foetuses illegally terminated: Police on abortion racket case

Bengaluru: The investigation into the illegal abortion racket has uncovered that the number of foeticides appears to be much larger than initially reported, with the accused confessing to have carried out around 3,000 such terminations, police said.

Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayanand told reporters on Tuesday that the investigations have shown that the accused had carried out 3,000 abortions so far and in the last three months itself, 242 female foetuses were killed.

The accused had set a target of 1,000 abortions per year to make money as they charged anywhere between Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 per termination of pregnancy.

The scam came to light when Byappanahalli police, on October 15, tried to stop a vehicle moving suspiciously. The vehicle’s driver did not stop and had to be chased by the police before being caught.

During interrogation the accused spilled the beans about the abortion racket. The police have arrested nine people till now, including two doctors and three lab technicians for their involvement in the nefarious activity.

Two of the arrested were also found to be involved in a kidnapping case, Commissioner Dayanand stated.

Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara has stated that the investigation into the case will be completed soon and everything will come out in the open.

The probe also revealed that abortions were conducted at a jaggery production unit in Mandya district where the accused had set up a lab and related facilities.

Mandya Assistant Commissioner Shivamurthy stated that the jaggery production unit has been seized as per the orders of the District Commissioner.

(With IANS inputs)