Authorities have announced a reward of ₹2 lakh for credible information about illegal abortion activities and related offences under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act and the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act in Daund division of Pune district.
The announcement was made jointly by the medical department and the police as part of an ongoing crackdown on alleged illegal abortion and sex-selection-related activities.
According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Bapurao Dadas, informants can report any information related to illegal medical terminations of pregnancy (MTP), violations of the PCPNDT Act, unlawful sonography-related practices and witness accounts or other information that could help investigators.
Police said the identity of informants would be kept confidential, and the information would be verified before any reward is granted.
Dadas said, "We have appealed to victims, eyewitnesses and anyone with relevant knowledge to submit information to the medical department or police. Appropriate legal action will be taken against those found responsible."
The reward announcement comes amid an investigation into alleged irregularities in abortion procedures at a private hospital in Kedgaon.
Police have arrested gynaecologist Dr Tukaram Yashwant Mote and are searching for Dr Swati Lawangare, a BHMS practitioner who police say is absconding. The case was registered by the Yavat Police following a complaint filed by Dr Sachin Vitthal Gujar, Medical Superintendent of the Sub-District Hospital in Daund.
A district-level committee inspected Lawangare Maternity and Infertility Hospital on June 6 and reportedly found discrepancies in abortion-related records, including registers, consent forms and admission documents. Police also seized eight MTP kits during the inspection.
Investigators allege that some abortion procedures may have been conducted without complying with mandatory legal requirements and documentation norms. Another accused, identified as Giri, has already been arrested for allegedly performing procedures despite not being authorised under the MTP Act.
Dadas said the exact number of procedures carried out by the accused is still being investigated, and tracing financial transactions has been difficult because payments were allegedly made largely in cash.
