Maharashtra To Use MCOCA Against Illegal IVF Centres After Ambernath Racket Bust
The Maharashtra government announced on Wednesday that it plans to introduce a bill to prosecute operators of illegal IVF centres and egg trafficking rackets under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). The decision follows the recent exposure of an illegal egg trafficking racket operating out of private flats in Ambernath.
State Health Minister Prakash Abitkar made the announcement in the state legislative assembly in Mumbai on Wednesday. The issue was brought to light by Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Asim Azmi, who detailed how economically vulnerable women were being exploited by rackets operating in the state.
According to Azmi, the illegal racket uncovered in Ambernath carried out egg retrieval procedures in private flats using unsafe and unscientific methods. These procedures were conducted without the supervision of qualified specialists. Azmi stated that middlemen earned lakhs of rupees from these transactions, while luring vulnerable women with a paltry payment of ₹15,000 to ₹20,000.
Minister Abitkar confirmed that a police investigation had exposed serious violations involving the illegal sale of human eggs. The hospital linked to the Ambernath racket has been sealed and blacklisted. The accused operator, Dr. Amol Patil, has been arrested. Abitkar added that directions have been issued to the Maharashtra Medical Council to initiate proceedings to cancel the doctor's medical licence.
To curb such illegal practices, the state government has constituted a task force to monitor IVF centres, sonography centres, and hospitals registered under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act. The task force will conduct surprise inspections and take strict action where violations are found.
Abitkar stated that three review meetings have already been held to discuss bringing PCPNDT offenders under MCOCA, and the Chief Minister's approval has been obtained. The government intends to introduce the new legislation in the next session of the legislature, which is expected by the end of the year.
Additionally, acknowledging that IVF treatment is prohibitively expensive, Abitkar said the government would examine whether IVF procedures could be included under the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MPJAY). The MPJAY scheme currently provides cashless treatment for more than 1,200 diseases, surgeries, and therapies for economically weaker sections of the state.
