The Karnataka government has transferred the investigation of a sex determination and illegal abortion racket to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The decision came after chief minister Siddaramaiah held a meeting with home minister G Parameshwara on Thursday.

According to a statement from the chief minister’s office (CMO), the state government has assigned the CID the responsibility of investigation into the case. Siddaramaiah, during the meeting with Parameshwara, demanded the need for a detailed examination into the matter.

Bengaluru police commissioner B Dayananda, providing details on the investigation, said the illicit operation was initially uncovered in October when the Byappanahalli police arrested four individuals operating a laboratory at a sugarcane processing unit in Mandya. The facility was found to be conducting sex determination tests. Subsequently, the police had arrested five more individuals, including two doctors, involved in the illegal abortion of female foetuses in Mysuru.

So far, the police have arrested 11 individuals and investigation has revealed that the accused ran the racket with systematic precision and had carried out over 250 abortions in the past three months.

In response to the revelations, Karnataka health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao expressed concern over the apparent dereliction of duty by certain officers. He also ordered the suspension of taluk health officers Rajeshwari and Ravi, who served as the district health officer in Mysuru district.

Minister Rao visited the surgarcane manufacturing unit at Hullenahalli village in Mandya, where the illegal activities took place. He also visited the Mata Hospital in Mysuru city, where illegal abortions were conducted. “Detection of gender is the worst form of cruelty. We have taken the case seriously. The public needs to be educated on this. The health department and the police department would have worked together meticulously in this case,” he said.

“The irresponsibility of the officers is visible at the outset. We will form a programme to initiate strict measures across the state. Those who are involved in this must get severe punishment. Thousands of abortions have taken place. People should fear getting an abortion. There is a huge gap in the gender ratio in the state. Society must change. If they are coming to a place like this for confirming gender, there is a need to create awareness,” the minister added.

“The investigation in connection with the case has been handed over to the CID. The health department will fully cooperate with the investigation. The action must be taken against those who indulge in female foeticide,” he said.

Dayananda, providing additional details of the probe, said that the accused had conducted 242 illegal abortions of female foetuses over the past three months. He mentioned that the suspects maintained records of these illegal procedures, charging fees ranging from ₹20,000 to ₹25,000 for each abortion, along with an additional ₹5,000 for sex determination.

The commissioner also highlighted the violation of guidelines related to ultrasound scanning machines, which should be entrusted only to registered doctors with proper permissions. “The police are actively investigating whether any officials were involved in granting permission for the accused to use these machines,” he said. The incident came to light on October 15 during a routine vehicle checking drive by the Byappanahalli police, who noticed a suspicious behavior from a car. The subsequent pursuit and apprehension of the suspects unveiled the extent of the illegal operations.