Fake doctor caught conducting illegal fetal sex determination test in MP's Morena

Morena, Oct 18 (PTI) A former peon posing as a doctor was caught red-handed while allegedly conducting illegal fetal sex determination tests in Morena, one of the districts with a low sex ratio in Madhya Pradesh, officials said on Saturday.

The accused Sanju Sharma (30) was arrested in a joint raid by the health department teams from Gwalior and Morena, along with social worker Meena Sharma, near Gadora Pura on Joura Road in Morena city on Friday, they said.

Talking to reporters, Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr Padmesh Upadhyay said that the raid was conducted under the direction of Morena District Collector Lokesh Jangid following a tip-off.

A decoy woman was sent along with a policewoman in plain clothes to trap the accused, he said.

The team found Sharma with a portable ultrasound machine and caught him red-handed as soon as he started the process, the official said.

A case was registered at Civil Lines police station, and the machine was seized, he said, adding that the accused was handed over to Morena police for further action.

According to officials, Sharma, who was posing as a doctor, was employed as a peon with the district education department and was posted at Bilgaon Middle School.

He was suspended in November 2024 after being found involved in illegal activities, they said.

Dr Praval Pratap Singh, a member of the Gwalior health department, said that the accused had been under surveillance for months.

"About six months ago, a man was caught in Jaipur selling a portable ultrasound machine. He had a photograph of Sanju Sharma and told the police that the latter had been conducting illegal fetal sex determination tests. We have been tracking him ever since," he said.

Dr Singh further said that on May 2, 2025, one Pankaj Tiwari and an ASHA worker were arrested for similar offences.

"This is the second group involved in such illegal testing, led by Sanju Sharma," he said.

Social activist Meena Sharma said the accused and his agents conducted door-to-door sex determination tests using portable machines, charging Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000 per test.

"If a foetus is found to be female, they would take hefty sums to terminate the pregnancy. Their network operates across Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi," she said.

According to the chief medical and health officer, Morena continues to have one of the lowest sex ratios in Madhya Pradesh.

"As per the 2011 census, there were 840 females per 1,000 males in the district, compared to 822 in 2001. The situation remains alarming, with some villages reporting as low as 541 females per 1,000 males," he said, adding that the ratio has now improved to 922 females per 1,000 males. PTI COR LAL ARU