As water levels in Hiranyakeshi river receded, abandoned foetuses were seen. Though the exact number of foetuses could not be ascertained due to their decomposed state and they lying strewn across the river bed, local people put the number at 20 and said many more could have flown away in water. They suspected that the hospitals and clinics must have been dumping them here for many years.
Superintendent of Police Sandeep Patil told Deccan Herald that they have found 10 aborted foetuses. Abortion of foetuses was an illegal act and the accused would be brought to book, he added.
However, Hukkeri Taluk Health Officer S V Munyal refused to accept that the foetuses were aborted illegally by clinics and hospitals in the vicinity. They will be sent to the Forensic department, Belgaum Institute of Medical Sciences, for analysis, he said.
Skewed sex ratio
Sugarcane belt of Hukkeri, Chikodi, Athani and Raibag taluks in the district has a skewed child sex ratio (CSR) with people opting to abort the child if found to be female. Many of the clinics, hospitals and doctors have illegal sonography machines and do not even maintain a data of the patients coming for sex determination of the foetus.
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