Woman doctor booked for conducting illegal abortion

A 65-year-old woman doctor has been booked for allegedly carrying out illegal abortion on a 21-weeks pregnant woman at a private hospital here, police said today.
The accused, Dr Neela Ashok Desai, who practices at Poona Hospital, was booked yesterday under relevant sections of the IPC and Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act for alleged abortion performed on the woman, who was 21 weeks and four days pregnant.
Dr Rupali Budhkar, a medical officer, attached to Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) cell of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), filed a complaint after they tracked that the abortion has taken place.

Budhkar said the woman and her family opted for termination of pregnancy after they came to know about some abnormality in the foetus.
"Termination of pregnancy in such cases is not allowed beyond 20 weeks, whereas the woman was pregnant for 21 weeks and four days," she said.
When asked how they came to know about this case, Budhkar said they keep on tracking the woman who are second or third time pregnant. "When we called the woman to check her pregnancy status, we were told about termination of pregnancy, which led to the investigation," she said.
Senior inspector Hemant Bhatt of Vishrambaug police station, where the case has been registered, said that the doctor will be arrested soon.

An abortion can be performed in India until the 20th week of pregnancy.