Karnataka Vows to Tighten Laws Against Female Foeticide

Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao announced plans to strengthen state legislation to ensure doctors and quacks involved in female foeticide do not easily obtain bail. Discussions with the police department will be initiated to ensure these cases are booked under the stringent PCPNDT Act.

Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Monday announced that the state government intends to strengthen legislation to prevent doctors and quacks involved in female foeticide from easily obtaining bail.

Rao revealed that his department would collaborate with the police to ensure such cases are prosecuted under the strict Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994.

He acknowledged past failures in legal battles and emphasized the commitment to address loopholes, pointing out that in just one year, 23 cases were registered compared to less than 100 over the past 21 years. Future cases, Rao assured, would be properly booked, despite admitting the department lacks information on quacks operating in the state.