Pune: Gynaecologist Held, Another Doctor Absconding as Police Probe Alleged Illegal Abortions at Daund Hospital
Pune, 8th June 2026: Pune rural police have arrested a gynaecologist and launched a manhunt for a woman doctor in connection with an alleged illegal abortion racket operating from a maternity hospital in Daund taluka, officials said on Sunday.
The action follows an inspection carried out by a district-level health team at a private hospital in Kedgaon on June 6. During the inspection, authorities allegedly detected irregularities in records related to medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) procedures and seized eight MTP kits from the facility.
Based on a complaint filed by Dr Sachin Gujar, medical superintendent of the Sub-District Hospital in Daund, Yavat police registered an FIR under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act.
Police identified the arrested accused as Dr Tukaram Mote, a gynaecologist from Uruli Kanchan. The second accused, Dr Swati Lawangare, a BHMS practitioner who runs a maternity and infertility hospital in Kedgaon, is absconding, officials said.
According to investigators, the hospital is an authorised MTP centre. However, preliminary findings suggest that pregnancy termination procedures were allegedly performed by Dr Lawangare, who is not legally permitted to conduct such procedures. Police suspect that Dr Mote endorsed the required medical documents despite not carrying out the procedures himself.
Officials said further investigations are underway to ascertain the number of cases involved and determine whether additional individuals were part of the operation.
The development comes days after Pune rural police claimed to have uncovered an illegal sex determination racket in Daund tehsil. On June 3, two persons, including an Ayurvedic practitioner, were arrested in that case. Investigators are examining possible links between referrals for prenatal sex determination and the alleged termination of female foetuses.
