Illegal abortion clinic busted in Belagavi

Belagavi: Belagavi police, in coordination with health department officials, have unearthed another alleged illegal abortion racket in Hukkeri taluk. A similar clinic was busted in Kittur nearly one-and-a-half years.A joint team recently raided a clinic operating from a house at Gumchinmaradi village in Hukkeri taluk and seized medical equipment and medicines allegedly used for unlawful abortions. They also arrested the accused, Razia Tanveer Ahmed Pathan, a native of Gokak and a resident of Gumchinmaradi.According to police sources, Razia served as a contract-based staff nurse at the primary health centre (PHC) in Paschapur for the past 13 years under the National Health Mission. She allegedly set up a small clinic in a room of her house.The raid was carried out by the health department's Scene of Crime Officer (SOCO) and Dr Bhushan Bannuri, medical officer of Badakundri PHC, along with police personnel. The accused was produced before a court and remanded to judicial custody.Minor's statement led to raidThe racket came to light during the investigation of a separate case registered at Yamakanmaradi police station on Jan 2, following a complaint by the family of a 15-year-old girl against a 21-year-old youth for alleged sexual assault.Police arrested the youth and remanded him to judicial custody. During inquiry, the minor said she became pregnant and underwent an abortion at a clinic in Gumchinmaradi. She identified the location where the procedure was allegedly carried out. Based on her statement, police and health department officials raided the place.Confirming the arrests, Yamakanmaradi inspector Javed Mushapuri said the alleged rapist and the staff nurse have been taken into custody as per legal provisions.In June 2024, police and officials from the health and revenue departments similarly busted an illegal abortion racket in Kittur town, where skeletal remains of three foetuses were reportedly found buried on the premises of a clinic run by a quack.