What happened in Maharashtra: arrest tied to an alleged female foeticide and illegal abortion racket
A news investigative feature describes alleged illegal abortion practices linked to female foeticide in Maharashtra and explains how son preference can sustain illegal “rackets” operating with secrecy and social cover. The feature focuses on Kolhapur district, where police arrested former senior health official Dr. Chandrakant Gaikwad. Dr. Gaikwad served in the health establishment and was part of the state’s “Save the Girls” campaign. Police alleged that Dr. Gaikwad admitted during interrogation to performing hundreds of illegal abortions.
The feature reports that the alleged racket operated from Kolhapur and included doctors and other participants. Maharashtra’s Health Minister announced plans for a stricter law and possible invocation of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against alleged supporters, including doctors and others, involved in sustaining the alleged crime network. The feature also notes public concerns about repeat offenders and accountability gaps.
Background and earlier position: son preference, prenatal decisions, and limits of enforcement
The feature connects female foeticide to son preference—a social bias where families and individuals place higher value on having a son than on a daughter. The feature describes situations where ultrasound and abortion are used after the expected child’s sex is understood or presumed, followed by pressure on women to continue or terminate pregnancies to achieve a son.
The feature also describes situations where families continue pregnancies until a son is born. The feature argues that when illegal procedures go wrong and when criminal networks remain active, women face major emotional and physical harm and justice gaps.