Only 6% of doctors held for sex-selection practices convicted

NEW DELHI: Only around 6% of cases filed against doctors involved in sex-selection practices in the 17 states, which have the most skewed sex ratio, have ended up in convictions till date. 

According to Union health ministry's latest data — prepared for a crucial meeting of health secretaries of the 17 states on Wednesday — a total of 805 cases have been filed in court against doctors till March 31, ever since the revised Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques Act ( PC and PNDT Act) came into force. Only 55 convictions have been recorded since then. 

The rest of the cases are either in progress or dropped for "poor investigation and insufficient evidence against the accused". Convictions were highest in Haryana (23), followed by Punjab (22), Gujarat (4), Maharashtra (3), Delhi (2) and Chandigarh (1). Interestingly, the highest number of cases against doctors was filed in Rajasthan (161), but none has resulted in conviction. 

Maharashtra filed 139 cases, Punjab (112), Gujarat (82), Madhya Pradesh (70), Delhi (61), Uttar Pradesh and Haryana (54), Andhra Pradesh (19), Bihar (10), Uttaranchal (9), Chhattisgarh (5), Jharkhand (3) and Chandigarh (2). 

Gujarat leads the pack in sealing of ultrasound machines (168), followed by Haryana (133). While, Maharashtra sealed 82 machines, Rajasthan (76), Orissa (68), Delhi (48), Punjab (26), UP (37), Jharkhand (13) and Andhra Pradesh (12). 

"On Wednesday, the meeting will emphasize on following up on court cases, building a strong case for prosecution and putting in place the mechanism for legal assistance and engaging with state legal services authorities apart from training workshops for judiciary and public prosecutors," an official said. 

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Only-6-of-doctors-held-for-sex-selection-practices-convicted/articleshow/8032214.cms

Union health ministry Ghulam Nabi Azad has been very proactive in rectifying the nation's shameful sex ratio. 

An official added, "India's conviction rates are shockingly low. That's because doctors who carry out the search and seizure operations aren't good with filing legal cases and presenting a full-proof investigation. Hence, violators go scot free." 

On Wednesday, these 17 states will be told by the Union health ministry to identify and map their worst-affected districts, blocks and even localities. 

Once identified, vigilance will be heightened in these places on doctors and clinics to "nab those involved in sex selection" in clinics or by use of portable ultrasound machines. 

In the meeting — the first since the provisional Census figures were released — the states will also be told to register every ultrasound clinic and machine (portable or stationary) being used as per the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act (PC and PNDT Act). Violation of any provision in this Act will entail a three-year jail term and Rs 50,000 fine. 

"States will be told to approach ultrasound manufacturers as per the Act to identify how many machines have been sold and to whom," sources told TOI. 

Pressure will also be intensified on states to get every ultrasound clinic to fill up Form F. According to the Act, every radiologist is required to fill Form F before conducting an ultrasound on a would-be mother. The form has important questions, including the reason for conducting sonography along with details of the patient and the doctor. 

Clinics that carry our prenatal selection and selective abortion leave most of the details incomplete, deliberately skipping sections mentioning the doctor's name, signature, the patient's address, age of the fetus and record of the would-be mother's previous children. 

"A careful examination of the form — which doctor referred the patient and why, if the ground for an ultra sound test is vague and if it is self referred instead of a doctor — will tell us who is involved in sex determination," an official added. 

States will also be told to improve or put in place inter-state, and more importantly inter-border coordination for regulating ultrasound clinics in border districts. 

As per the agenda of the meeting, the states will be told to dedicate a PNDT cell in the state, follow up on court cases, set up of a state supervisory board, which will meet once every four months, notify a multi-member state appropriate authority and take action in case of default. 

At the district level, some states have given the district collector supreme power, search and seize illegal and unregistered ultra sound machines while other states have put the chief medical officer in charge. Workshops to sensitize judiciary, public prosecutors and advisory committees will also be held. 

A ministry official said, "The latest Census figures show that the female girl child is still a curse and unwanted. Their number has fallen to an all-time low since Independence. The sex ratio for 2011 stands at 914 girls — down from 927 girls for 1,000 boys in 2001."

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Only-6-of-doctors-held-for-sex-selection-practices-convicted/articleshow/8032214.cms

Vidya makes gay weak-kneed!

Actress Vidya Balan made a short visit to Delhi on Sunday for good friend and designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee's grand finale show at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW), but since the visit was just to support Sabya, she left within 15 minutes of the show ending. 

Before she left, we managed to chat with her for a few minutes as compliments poured in for her dance moves with Australian actor Hugh Jackmanduring the recent FICCI event in Mumbai. 

Referring to that dance with Hugh, she said, "I knew he'd be there, but I didn't know he'd give me that award. I was telling everyone I'll get married tonight and come, but I never thought I'd get the opportunity to shake a leg with him, Bollywood style!" But Vidya's been having lots of fun with people from Down Under, it seems. While she was in Australia for a film festival on her movies earlier in March, Vidya had gone out partying with friends one day in Melbourne and they'd gone visiting a few gay clubs on Commercial Street. At one of the places, a guy walked up to her and said, "I am gay, but you are really hot. By any chance, are you Kim Kardashian?" Vidya says, "I didn't know what to say, so I just smiled." Before we could ask Smore, she was whisked away by Sabya and that brought an end to the jamboree named WIFW.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/Vidya-makes-gay-weak-kneed/articleshow/7944625.cms

Delhi: Cop run over by fleeing industrialist

NEW DELHI: A senior police officer from Chhattisgarh has alleged he was almost run over by an Audi car while trying to arrest a south Delhi-based industrialist in a cheating case near the Bhatti mines on Sunday. 

Vivek Shukla, Raigarh's additional superintendant of police, said the industrialist told his chauffeur to drive away when they were motioned by the Chhattisgarh police team to stop. Shukla was hit on the leg and received serious injuries. 

The industrialist has been identified as Suresh Goyal, owner of Goyal MG Gases Pvt Ltd, a Sahibabad-based company with branches across India. Goyal also reportedly owns three listed financial firms. DCP (south) H G S Dhaliwal said the city police had registered a case under sections 186 (obstructing a public servant in discharge of his duties) and 353 (assault or use of criminal force on a public servant) at the Fatehpur Beri police station. "We have conducted several raids but are yet to arrest anyone in this case," Dhaliwal said. 

Shukla said he and two other cops came to the city on Sunday morning with an arrest warrant after a tip-off that Goyal, a resident of Maharani Bagh, would be going to a farmhouse near Asola Vihar to attend a function. "The accused was contracted by a company, Ind Synergy, to create air separation gas plants at one of their oxygen manufacturing facilities in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh. Ind Synergy says the contract was not executed although the businessman was paid Rs 78 lakh as advance. A cheating case was registered in Raigarh seven months ago," Shukla said. 

Shukla said the police team decided to intercept Goyal's Audi on Asola Road in south Delhi near Bhatti mines, when the accused was returning home. "The three of us asked his driver to stop on Sunday afternoon. As we asked him to come out, the accused told his driver to continue driving although we had blocked his path. It was then that I was injured and decided to lodge a case at the local police station,'' said Shukla. 

The south Delhi police said they were trying to nab the accused. "We are conducting raids but are yet to get to even the driver. We will then examine whether the businessman himself had ordered the driver to flee from the spot,'' said a senior district officer.

Source:-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Delhi-Cop-run-over-by-fleeing-industrialist/articleshow/7505293.cms

‘Study of all power plants essential’ - Mumbai - DNA

Only the combined study of all the proposed power projects on the Konkan coastal belt, will give the real picture of the possible impact on the environmental of these plants, says the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS).

The 200-km-long Konkan coastline is expected to have around 15 thermal power plants, with a capacity of around 23,000MW. Adding to that will be the much controversial Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project, which has capacity of 9,900MW.

“This is not the question of one nuclear power plant. When you have such a huge number of projects coming up, you have to study the impact in totality. If you see the proposed plans on map, there is no open space available in the belt of 200km from Dabhol to Sindhudurg. Plus, all these projects will be releasing hot water in to the sea, which will increase the seawater temperature,” said Dr Deepak Apte, deputy director, conservation.

He added that the rising temperature does alter the present ecosystem and increase the number of newer species. “It is good for some species, but not for others. Therefore, we feel that all the projects should be studied in a combined manner to reach a conclusion,” said Apte, adding that had there been a single project, then an isolated study could have helped.

BNHS also released its interim report on the impact of oil spill, which took place after the collision between two vessels namely MSC Chitra and Khalijia in August 2010.

The report claims that the spill has harmed the mangroves spread over the 1,273.24-hectare area, which is almost 60% of the total mangrove cover in and around Mumbai. It also says that the regeneration process of mangroves has stopped because of the oil cover.

Source: ‘Study of all power plants essential’ - Mumbai - DNA