Ambala, Yamunanagar health teams expose Saharanpur-based PNDT centre being run at house

AMBALA/YAMUNANAGAR: The health department teams of the Ambala and Yamunanagar districts exposed and caught hold of a woman identified as Parminder alias Paramjeet, resident of Yamunanagar, who was involved in conducting Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) tests inside a house in Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh.

The health department received information that a woman worker of a Barara-based hospital was involved in conducting PNDT tests of pregnant women at some centre.

The officials planned to decoy Parmjeet Chawla, resident of Barara, Ambala who was working on commission basis with some Saharanpur-based PNDT centre. A pregnant woman was prepared for PNDT test after establishing contact with the tout.

The pregnant woman was sent to Barara-based hospital for inquiry. She was given assurance that the test could be conducted on any day and it would cost Rs 30,000.

On January 25, Ambala civil surgeon withdrew Rs 30,000 from the PNDT account and constituted a team to follow the pregnant lady and another woman who was sent as a support. Both the women were sent to Barara in a private car where they met Parmjeet Chawla, who then contacted another woman identified as Parminder to ask whether it is possible to conduct the test on that day. She said that the test can be done. All the women sat in the car and proceeded towards Yamunanagar.

They picked up Parminder and proceeded further towards Saharanpur.

Till this time, the Ambala health department team was following them. When they reached Yamunanagar, the team of Yamunanagar civil surgeon was also called in for support.

At around 1 pm at Saharanpur-Delhi road, Parminder and the pregnant woman got off the car and proceeded further in an auto-rickshaw.

After a passage of one hour, both women came back and Parminder told the pregnant woman that she has a girl child in her womb. They sat in the car and started the travel back to Yamunanagar.

When they reached near Kalanaur police post, the teams nabbed them red-handed and recovered the same currency notes from the possession of Parminder amounting to Rs 12,000 which were given to the decoy by the Ambala civil surgeon. Parmjeet Chawla managed to escape.

Investigation officer sub-inspector Ishwar Singh said, “A case has been registered against Parmjeet Chawla of Chawla Hospital, Barara; Paramjeet alias Parminder resident Arjun Nagar, Yamunanagar; and Sonu of Saharanpur under section 3A, 5, 6, 23 and 25 of the PNDT Act and 420 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Yamunanagar Sadar police station. We took the custody of the accused Parminder who was later taken on one-day police remand on court orders. On Sunday, after the completion of the remand, the accused was presented before the court again which has now sent her to judicial custody. Further investigation is ongoing.”