Karnataka to strengthen law to ensure those involved in female foeticide don’t get bail easily

Bengaluru: Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Monday said the state government will strengthen the legislation concerned to ensure that doctors and quacks involved in female foeticide do not get bail easily.

Rao said his department will hold discussions with the police department to make sure that such cases are booked under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994.

“People who are accused of foeticide obtain bail. We failed in the legal battle with them. We are assessing the loopholes to plug them in the coming days,” the Minister said in the Legislative Council, replying to a question raised by the BJP's C T Ravi.

Ravi wondered why the government was not booking cases against such quacks under the PCPNDT Act which is a stringent law.

In reply, the Minister said his department is serious about putting an end to female foeticide, due to which in just one year 23 cases were booked.

“In the last 21 years, less than 100 cases were registered but in just one year we booked 23 cases, which shows our seriousness. It is true that we are not taking up legal battles properly,” he said.

Rao said: “In future all the cases will be booked properly. Since the police book cases, we have discussed with the police department (with regard to quacks and foeticide).” He also admitted that the department has no information on quacks operating in the State.