Maharashtra Govt Plans MCOCA Action Against Organised Female Foeticide, Sex Determination Networks

Mumbai, October 7, 2026: The Maharashtra government plans to amend the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC&PNDT) Act to enable the use of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against organised networks involved in prenatal sex determination and female foeticide.

Health Minister Prakash Abitkar said the proposed amendment would be introduced during the upcoming Winter Session of the state legislature. The move follows concerns over organised networks allegedly involving doctors, middlemen and others in illegal sex determination.

Task Force Targets Organised Networks

The decision was announced at the first meeting of a task force constituted to strengthen implementation of the PC&PNDT Act. Abitkar directed officials to target the entire chain involved in such offences rather than limiting action to individual offenders. He also called for greater use of decoy operations and trap cases to detect and dismantle such networks.

The task force will conduct special inspections in districts selected on the basis of risk assessment and available intelligence. Palghar, Ahilyanagar and Pune have been identified for the first phase, after which the exercise will be extended to other suspected or sensitive districts in western and northern Maharashtra.

Scrutiny Of Sonography Centres

Teams will examine records maintained by sonography centres, machine usage, diagnostic details and other documents to identify violations. Action will be taken against centres and individuals found violating PC&PNDT provisions.

The government has also ordered stricter monitoring of portable sonography machines, amid concerns over their alleged misuse for illegal prenatal sex determination. Authorities will track their availability, use and records and develop a mechanism to prevent their misuse.

State Data Shows Scale Of Challenge

The scale of the challenge is reflected in state data, with 627 PC&PNDT cases registered between March 2024 and March 2026, resulting in 127 convictions.

In 2025-26, authorities conducted 118 decoy operations, of which 13 were successful, while nearly all of Maharashtra’s 11,837 registered sonography centres were inspected.

Meanwhile, the Health Department has directed officials to compile district-wise lists of bogus doctors and initiate steps to make the information public. Local administrations and health officials have also been asked to conduct joint action against unauthorised medical practitioners.

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Abitkar said stronger laws must be backed by regular inspections, effective enforcement and swift prosecution to curb prenatal sex determination and female foeticide in the state.

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