The Jodhpur police have declared a government doctor, accused of conducting more than 5,000 sex-determination tests in the last seven years, as a history-sheeter.

The doctor, Mohammed Imtiyaz Rangrez (41), was arrested for conducting sex-determination tests for the first time in 2016 when he was in charge of the Balesar community health centre. He was suspended after being sent to judicial custody. But following his release from jail, the doctor again started conducting sex- determination tests . Police said Imtiyaz has been arrested four times till date.

Nagauri Gate police station SHO Loon Singh Bhati said deputy commission of police (East) Amandeep Singh Kapoor had recently issued orders to open the history-sheet, a term for a criminal with a long record of serious crimes.

According to the police, Imtiyaz was arrested for the first time on October 7, 2016, while he was conducting sex-determination tests at his assistant Bhairon Singh’s house. On May 21, 2017, he was arrested while conducting tests at the house of a middleman, Hanuman Jyani. On January 5, 2018, Imtiyaz was held with his colleagues when he was testing a pregnant woman in a moving vehicle.

The police said the doctor was caught last on September 9, 2018, while conducting a sex-determination test at a house in Mahamandir area. During interrogation, he disclosed that he has done more than 5,000 sex-determination tests in the last seven years. Imtiaz‘s father, Dr Niaz Rangrez, was also caught while conducting sex-determination tests in 2012, 2014 and on August 15, 2016.

“Announcing Dr Imitiaz as a history-sheeter by Jodhpur DCP (East) Kapoor is a welcome step. It has been the government’s negligence that Dr Imitiaz has not been terminated from his services and even his medical licence has not been cancelled,” said social activist Rajan Choudhary who has played key role in many decoy operations in the state.

According to the 2011 census, child sex ratio in Rajasthan was 888 girls per 1,000 boys; the ratio increased to 938 per 1000 in 2017-18.

Choudhary said, “Although the child sex ratio has improved, but still a long way to go, as many people are still involved in sex determination in the state.”

First Published: Jan 02, 2019 15:11 IST