Sex determination: Woman loses legal battle, NGOs stand by her

A group of civil society bodies will launch an online campaign in support of a woman doctor, whose eight-year-old struggle for justice against "illegal sex determination" of her twin daughters, ended on a bleak note.
Mitu Khurana, 40, said to be the first woman in the country to file case against her husband and in-laws under the Pre-Conception & Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act (PC-PNDT), 1994, has exhausted her legal recourse after the Supreme Court recently dismissed her case.
"My in-laws had illegally determined the sex of the foetus, and after finding that I was carrying twin daughters, forced me to abort them," she alleged.

"I fought this battle from the lower court to the Supreme Court. My fight was not just for myself but also for my daughters and for many women who continue to suffer harassment. Was it my fault that I fought back and struggled for justice," she said.
A few representatives from different civil societies and women rights' bodies today held a press conference here in the presence of Khurana, a physician, and appealed to people to support her cause.
"After losing in court, we would now go to people's court. Some of the organisations fighting for women's right have decided to rally behind this cause and very soon we are going to launch an online campaign seeking justice for her," President, Forum Against Corruption and Threats, Indu Prakah Singh told reporters.

Advocates Anu Narula and Indira Unninyar also addressed the press conference and pledged support to Khurana.

"If the court says our case was bad, we wish it would tell us the lacunae in it. But, her case of struggle for eight-long years just being summarily rejected, makes us feel sad," Narula said.
Khurana's cause has been supported by various well-know NGOs like ActionAid, AIDWA and Girls Count, Singh said.
The alleged incident took place in 2005 here and Khurana claimed that in the list of 103 patients, for whom Form F were submitted in April 2005, her name was not there.

"This form is a necessary document before conducting any such test. And, so not having my consent before conducting it, itself makes it illegal," she said.
"The fight for justice will continue as this is not just for Mitu but several other women like her, who have come out and admitted the harassment they are being subjected to," Singh said.