A nursing home owner has been arrested for allegedly conducting banned sex determination test and abortion here in the district. Sridhar Pradhan was held during a joint raid by the district administration and police at the clinic, which is said to be registered for treating orthopaedic disorders.
A married couple was also rescued from the clinic during the raid. The illegal practice at the clinic came to fore after the couple from the Narasinghpur area in Cuttack district approached a nurse working at the Nayagarh District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) for abortion (foeticide) of the female foetus.
According to reports, the couple has already had twin girls. After they came to know about a female foetus during ultrasound of the second pregnancy, they opted for abortion for which they consulted a nurse in the DHH. The latter suggested them to visit the clinic in question, situated behind the DHH, for abortion.
Acting on a tipoff, the district administration along with police conducted the raid at the clinic. They nabbed the clinic owner while the woman was waiting for undergoing next step of treatment after taking an abortion pill. Later, the woman was admitted to the DHH for treatment.
The magistrate sealed the clinic for further probe into the activities there.
Meanwhile, a staff of the clinic also admitted about the illegal practices at the laboratory. He stated that abortion had earlier been conducted at the clinic twice. However, the owner refuted the allegations, clarifying that the clinic and laboratory were proposed to be registered for orthopaedic disorder treatment and test.