In a major crackdown on female foeticide, the Hisar Health Department has busted an illegal sex determination racket operating in Azad Nagar, arresting four individuals, including a prominent doctor and politician. The key accused, identified as Dr. Anant Ram Barwala, is a leader of the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) and had unsuccessfully contested the 2024 Assembly elections.
The arrests followed a meticulously planned raid conducted late Thursday night by a team led by PNDT Nodal Officer Dr. Anamika Bishnoi. Acting on a tip-off, the department sent a “decoy customer” to the Shri Balaji Clinic, where the accused allegedly agreed to determine the gender of the foetus for a sum of ₹35,000. While the marked currency given to the decoy could not be immediately recovered, officials seized ₹10,000 from another pregnant woman who was undergoing an illegal scan at the time of the raid.
During the search, the team recovered a portable ultrasound machine, a probe, and a charger from the clinic’s first floor. Crucially, the machine was unregistered, and no mandatory Form-F (required under the PC-PNDT Act) had been filled for the patients. Police also found six Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) kits and restricted medicines, pointing to a larger illegal operation. The other arrested individuals include Dr. Surajmal (suspected to be the clinic owner), a tout named Prem, and a woman named Priyanka.
Dr. Anant Ram is reportedly a “repeat offender” with a history of similar violations. Officials noted that his medical license had already been suspended by the Haryana Medical Council in November 2023. Following his arrest, Dr. Anant Ram complained of health issues, including anxiety and dizziness, and was admitted to a hospital before being sent to judicial custody by a local court. The clinic owner, Dr. Surajmal, has been remanded to two days of police custody for further interrogation.
