A shocking case has emerged from Mysuru district, Karnataka, where a private hospital owner has been identified as the main figure behind an illegal fetal sex-determination racket. Authorities say Shyamala, owner of SK Hospital in Bannur, and her husband Govindra Raju were secretly conducting unlawful gender tests with the help of an agent named Putaju.
Officials revealed that the couple charged ₹25,000 to ₹35,000 for each illegal scan. Pregnant women were reportedly brought in through a network of agents spread across Mysuru and T. Narasipura.
During a live raid near Bannur Highway, authorities caught four pregnant women red-handed. They also found a hidden ultrasound machine inside Shyamala’s house and discovered that illegal scans were being performed at a farmhouse converted into a makeshift clinic. Investigators now suspect several cases of female foeticide linked to this operation.
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In India, determining the sex of a fetus before birth is strictly prohibited under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act of 1994. The law was created to stop female foeticide — the selective abortion of female fetuses driven by societal preference for sons.
Anyone performing or facilitating such tests faces severe punishment, including jail time and license cancellation. Yet, despite strict laws, illegal operations continue to surface across the country.
Cases like the Mysuru bust typically follow a clear pattern:
Agents recruit clients, often targeting families desperate for a male child.
Unregistered clinics or houses are used to hide scanning equipment and perform secret tests.
Once the fetus’s gender is identified, some families opt for illegal abortions if it’s a girl.
High fees — often ₹25,000 to ₹40,000 — are charged for these illicit services.
In the Mysuru case, officials confirmed that Shyamala used both her hospital and a hidden farmhouse to carry out scans. The discovery of multiple pregnant women at the scene further confirmed the ongoing nature of the racket.
The Mysuru case is not just a criminal issue — it reflects a deep social problem.
India still faces a strong cultural preference for male children, leading to an imbalance in the sex ratio at birth. According to national data, some states report fewer than 900 girls per 1,000 boys, a worrying sign of gender discrimination even before birth.
Female foeticide is not just illegal — it’s unethical and dangerous. It denies girls their right to life and creates long-term social issues such as:
Decline in female population.
Rising gender-based violence.
Human trafficking and forced marriages in areas with fewer women.
Following the Mysuru raid, local authorities have intensified surveillance on scanning centers and private hospitals in the district. Surprise inspections, license checks, and strict enforcement of the PCPNDT Act are now underway.
Experts say more must be done:
Regular monitoring of ultrasound machines and registration records.
Stronger penalties for violators and those aiding them.
Public awareness campaigns to change outdated gender attitudes.
Support systems for women resisting family pressure to determine or abort based on fetal sex.
The Mysuru fetal sex-determination racket is a grim reminder that gender bias still thrives, even in modern medical spaces. It exposes how greed and social pressure can drive people to break laws meant to protect life and dignity.
As investigations continue, authorities aim to hold everyone involved accountable — from hospital owners to agents and clients. But true change will come only when society stops valuing one gender over another.
At SociallyKeeda.com, we believe awareness and empathy are the first steps toward ending such practices. Every child, regardless of gender, deserves the right to be born and live with dignity.
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