Vivek Dorai, Deputy Director, PCPNDT (Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostics Techniques Act), said the officials found an unregistered portable ultrasound machine on the hospital premises during a routine inspection on December 5. Once the matter was brought to the notice of higher officials, another inspection was conducted on Wednesday. “When we visited the hospital, nurses and other employees there did not give proper replies to our questions. Suspecting their behaviour, we decided to inspect the hospital premises. We found the foetus in the waste bin at an operation theatre. We immediately sealed the hospital and alerted the police,” Dorai said.

Further investigation by the officials revealed that the hospital maintained no records for the number of ultrasound performed. It also had no prenatal records of patients. Health Commissioner D Randeep said, “This is the first case booked for female foeticide through illegal abortion in Karnataka with evidence (unregistered ultrasound machine and foetus in the waste bin).” Prior to this, factors such as no proper registration of scanning centres, maintenance of ultrasound records, foetuses found abandoned or unregistered ultrasound machines hinted at such illegal activities in the State, he added.

The accused have been booked under the Prohibition of Sex Selection Act 1994, the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act 1971, voluntarily causing a woman with child to miscarry (IPC 312), intent to cause miscarriage of a woman with a child and results in the death of that woman (IPC 314) and other Sections.