Maharashtra Registers 627 PCPNDT Cases and Secures 127 Convictions
The Maharashtra Public Health and Family Welfare department registered 627 court cases and secured 127 convictions under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act between March 2024 and March 2026. The massive statewide enforcement drive aimed to crack down on illegal prenatal sex determination.
According to the Director of Public Health, Dr. Vijay Khandewad, the renewed crackdown comes at a time when Maharashtra's sex ratio at birth stands at a concerning 899 girls per 1,000 boys. This is based on the latest Sample Registration System report, indicating that illegal sex determination continues despite decades of enforcement.
As part of the intensified campaign, health officials inspected nearly all of the state's 11,837 registered sonography centres. The state also stepped up its decoy operations, conducting 118 sting operations during 2025–26, of which 13 were successful. This followed 82 decoy operations in 2024–25, which yielded 11 successful cases.
The crackdown has resulted in severe disciplinary action against medical professionals. Since June 2012, the names of 219 doctors have been referred to medical councils. Among these, the Maharashtra Medical Council cancelled the registrations of 62 doctors, while the Maharashtra Council of Homoeopathy cancelled 10, and the Medical Council of India cancelled four. Additionally, 492 manufacturers and distributors of sonography and imaging machines were registered with the State Appropriate Authority by February 2025.
To encourage public participation, the state offers an informer reward of Rs 1 lakh for information that leads to successful action against illegal prenatal sex determination. The government has also utilized toll-free helplines, which received 1,124 complaints by February 2025, resolving 1,102 of them. An online complaint portal launched in March 2024 resolved 82 out of 103 complaints by February 2025.
Court records show that out of 625 cases filed till February 2025, courts disposed of 462 cases. While 127 resulted in convictions, 332 ended in acquittals or dismissals, three were withdrawn, and 163 cases remained pending.
Dr. Khandewad emphasized that policing alone cannot solve the issue, pointing to deep-rooted social pressures and a preference for sons. He stated that the department will continue expanding decoy operations across every district to address the problem.
