Pune: Doctor gets 3 years in jail in pre-natal sex-determination case

Pune, May 14: A court in Pune on Tuesday sentenced a doctor to three-year rigorous imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 on her in a 2011 pre-nata sex-determination case.

Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Vishakha Patil convicted Dr Neena Mathrani, a radiologist from the city, under Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Tests (PCPNDT) Act, 1994.

Gynaecologist Dr Makarand Ranade, a co-accused, had died during the trial. Both the doctors were exposed after a couple, who was sent to Dr Ranade as decoy, conducted a sting operation in 2011.

"A strong case was made out against both the doctors and there was a strong circumstantial as well as electronic evidence. The court convicted Dr Mathrani and sentenced her to three years rigorous imprisonment and also fined her Rs 10,000," Chief Legal Officer of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) Manjusha Idhate said.

She said Dr Ranade took Rs 9,000 from the couple and sent them to Dr Mathrani's clinic for sex determination test. Idhate said that for the PMC, advocate Anant Randive appeared before the court and examined three witnesses.

"The conviction will send a stern and strong message to those from the medical fraternity who are involved in such activities," she said.

PTI