Breach of Ethics in Maharashtra: Former Senior Civil Surgeon Arrested Over Alleged Underground Sex-Selection and Abortion Racket

KOLHAPUR, MAHARASHTRA — In a major blow to public health ethics and legal safeguards surrounding reproductive healthcare, law enforcement agencies in Kolhapur have dismantled a clandestine network allegedly operating an illegal prenatal sex-determination and abortion syndicate.

On July 30, 2026, Karveer Police arrested Dr. Chandrakant Gunda Gaikwad, 70, a retired high-ranking government doctor and former civil surgeon, following a decoy sting operation at Pratima Hospital in Kadamwadi. The bust has reverberated throughout India’s medical fraternity, particularly given Dr. Gaikwad’s extensive history within the public health apparatus and the location of the offense in the home district of Maharashtra’s Health and Medical Education Minister.

The police action exposes a sophisticated, multi-tiered pipeline that combined unauthorized portable ultrasound diagnostics with clandestine medical and surgical terminations of pregnancy, violating strict national statutes designed to combat female foeticide.

The Decoy Operation: How Law Enforcement Unravelled the Racket

The breakthrough occurred following a targeted raid on July 26 at Three Star Lodging in Kalamba, where police intercepted an active illegal fetal sex-testing station. That initial intervention led to the detention of key operatives, including Swapnil Patil and two female brokers. Interrogations revealed a systematic referral pipeline: pregnant women carrying female fetuses were systematically directed to Dr. Gaikwad’s Kadamwadi facility for terminations.

To confirm these leads, Karveer Police collaborated with municipal health authorities to execute a decoy operation. A female undercover police officer posing as a patient’s relative approached Dr. Gaikwad’s clinic.

According to investigative reports, after an illegal portable sonography scan was conducted, medical personnel dispensed abortion medications and initiated preparations for a surgical procedure. Police and public health officers subsequently moved in, seizing crucial physical evidence:

• Unregistered ultrasound machines and diagnostic accessories

• Specialized surgical gynecology instruments

• Stockpiles of restricted medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) pharmaceutical kits

Following his detention, Dr. Gaikwad—who previously served as civil surgeon across major jurisdictions including Mumbai, Beed, Sindhudurg, Raigad, and Ratnagiri, as well as additional superintendent at St. George Hospital—reported acute distress. He was admitted under security guard to Chhatrapati Pramila Raje (CPR) Hospital for medical management prior to formal judicial presentation.

Scale and Financial Exploitation

Preliminary findings by investigating authorities suggest the scale of operations was substantial. Detectives estimate that 200 to 300 illegal abortions—utilizing both pharmaceutical regimens and invasive surgical techniques—may have been conducted at the location in recent years.

“The financial architecture of underground sex-selection relies on social vulnerability,” noted police officials monitoring the financial audits. Operatives allegedly charged approximately ₹20,000 per procedure, extracting hefty fees from families seeking sex-selective terminations.

Investigators are auditing bank accounts, patient logs, and communication data to map the full extent of the network and identify remaining accomplices, including an absconding organizer believed to coordinate the logistics between testing centers and surgical facilities.

Legal Architecture: Acts and Statutes Invoked

Law enforcement has registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Dr. Gaikwad and six co-accused under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) along with specific public health and statutory frameworks:

The Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act mandates strict tracking of all ultrasound equipment, mandatory form filings (Form F) for every pregnancy scan, and explicit bans on revealing fetal sex. Violations carry non-bailable penalties, severe prison terms, and statutory revocation of medical registration.

Public Health Implications and Gender Demographics

The proliferation of underground sex-determination networks directly undermines national efforts to normalize the Child Sex Ratio (CSR) and safeguard maternal health. While abortion is fully legal in India under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act for healthcare, therapeutic, and humanitarian reasons, coupling pregnancy termination with illegal sex identification disrupts demographic balance and encourages unsafe medical practices.

Public health analysts emphasize that clandestine operations routinely sidestep safety protocols.

“When prenatal sex determination is coupled with illegal abortion, it creates a pipeline for female foeticide, which distorts demographics and reinforces harmful social norms,” explains Dr. Meera Desai, a public health researcher specializing in reproductive health, who was not involved in the investigation. “Furthermore, unregulated facilities operating in the shadows lack emergency obstetric safeguards, placing women at extreme risk of severe hemorrhage, pelvic infections, uterine perforation, and secondary infertility.”

      [ Unregulated Ultrasound Diagnostic ]
                        │
                        ▼
           [ Fetal Sex Identification ]
                        │
                        ▼
      [ Referral to Underground Facility ]
                        │
                        ▼
   [ Unmonitored Surgical/Chemical Termination ]
                        │
      ┌─────────────────┴─────────────────┐
      ▼                                   ▼
[ Demographic Distortion ]     [ Severe Maternal Risk ]
(Skewed Child Sex Ratio)       (Hemorrhage, Infertility, Sepsis)

Medical professionals also voice deep concern over the erosion of public trust when senior practitioners violate ethical standards.

“Trust is the foundation of the doctor–patient relationship. When that trust is violated for profit or social bias, it damages the entire system,” says Dr. Anil Patwardhan, a senior obstetrician based in Pune. “Robust audits, surprise inspections, and whistleblower protections are essential to deter such practices and isolate bad actors.”

Patient Guidance: Safe Healthcare vs. Illegal Operations

Navigating reproductive healthcare requires understanding the clear legal boundary between legitimate medical care and unlawful practices.

Legal MTP Framework

• Permitted Grounds: Approved up to defined gestational limits for threats to maternal physical/mental health, severe fetal abnormalities, contraceptive failure (for married and unmarried women), or humanitarian grounds (rape/incest).

• Qualified Providers: Must be performed by registered medical practitioners (RMPs) in government-approved facilities equipped for emergency management.

• Confidentiality: Patient privacy is legally protected under MTP regulations.

Red Flags of Illegal Operations

• Offers or promises to reveal the sex of the fetus before birth.

• Procedures conducted in unregistered locations, residential spaces, or lodging facilities.

• Lack of official documentation, informed consent forms, or formal receipts.

• Administration of MTP medication kits without prior clinical evaluation or supervision.

Citizens suspecting illegal sex-determination or unsafe clinical practices can report confidentially to district health officers or local law enforcement authorities.

Medical Disclaimer

Medical Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult with qualified healthcare professionals before making any health-related decisions or changes to your treatment plan. The information presented here is based on current research and expert opinions, which may evolve as new evidence emerges.

References

1. Times of India. “70-year-old former civil surgeon booked for female foeticide in Kolhapur.” July 30, 2026. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolhapur/70-year-old-former-civil-surgeon-booked-for-female-foeticide-in-kolhapur/articleshow/132747015.cms