On Monday, the Anti Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU), Task Force, and Kakatiya University Campus (KUC) Police worked together to arrest 18 people involved in illegal pre-natal sex determination tests and abortions. During the operation, the police found sex determination scanning machines, Rs 73,000 in cash, and 18 cell phones. Two people are still at large, and officials from the district Medical and Health department also participated in the raid.
The Commissioner of Police A V Ranganath spoke to the media in Hanumakonda and explained that they had received complaints about sex determination tests and illegal abortions. The prime accused, Vemula Praveen, and his wife Sandhyarani had been running a secret scanning center in Gopalpur. Praveen was arrested previously on similar charges and had set up a network of people including RMPs, PROs, hospital managements, medical staff, and doctors to conduct his illegal activity.
The gang conducted abortions at hospitals like Lotus Hospital at Hanumakonda, Gayathri Hospital, Upender (Pardhu) Hospital at Nekkonda, and Balaji Multi-Speciality Hospital at Narsampet. These hospitals charged exorbitant fees, and the amount was shared among all the stakeholders. The gang performed over 100 abortions, and the hospital managements collected anywhere between Rs 20,000 and Rs 30,000 per abortion.
The police arrested 18 people involved in this illegal activity, including Vemula Praveen, Vemula Sandhyarani, Dr Balne Pardhu, Dr Moram Aravinda, Dr Moram Srinivas Murthy, Dr Balne Purnima, Balne Pradeep Reddy, Kaita Raju, Talla Arjun, Pranai Babu, Keerthy Mohan, Balne Asalatha, Kongara Renuka, Bhukya Anil, Chengelli Jagan, Gannarapu Srilatha, Bandi Nagaraju, and Kasiraju Dileep. They have been booked under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act (PCPNDT) of 1994 and other relevant sections.
