The Mysuru well being division has shut down a minimum of 23 unlawful diagnostic centres, a senior official conversant in the matter mentioned on Wednesday.

The shut downs have been finished citing the absence of obligatory paperwork, permissions, and a failure to supply requested data as causes, the official mentioned.

“A total of 23 diagnostic centres now face closure due to a range of irregularities and not following the prescribed rules outlined in the Karnataka Private Medical Establishment Act,” Mysuru district well being officer PC Kumaraswamy mentioned.

The ongoing crackdown by the well being division, the officers have additionally been inspecting whether or not these centres have been engaged in different illicit actions, together with foetal intercourse detection and unlawful abortions, folks conversant in the matter mentioned.

During a latest raid on two diagnostic centres in Mysuru, officers found that each centres had deleted recorded information from their methods, officers aware of the matter mentioned.

Meanwhile, the state authorities has handed over the feminine foeticide investigation to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), signalling an ongoing and complete probe into the matter.

The state well being division has additionally introduced a money reward of ₹1 lakh to the informers who present credible details about ongoing foetal intercourse detection in any hospital throughout the state, officers conversant in the matter mentioned on Monday.

The growth got here as the federal government intensified its efforts to sort out feminine foeticide within the state.

To facilitate public involvement, the well being division has established a helpline at 080-25202264/65, urging residents to report cases of unlawful intercourse willpower at any hospital.

The initiative goals to curb the alarming decline within the female-to-male ratio, state well being minister Dinesh Gundurao mentioned. “Last year there were 947 women per 1,000 men. This year there are 929. The number of women has decreased,” he mentioned.

Last month, Bengaluru Police arrested a physician and his lab technician who’ve allegedly carried out round 900 unlawful abortions within the final three years, officers mentioned on Monday. Dr Chandan Ballal and his lab technician Nisar allegedly charged round ₹30,000 for every abortion which they carried out at a hospital within the district headquarters city of Mysuru. Both of them have been taken into custody final week, they mentioned.

Police busted the sex-determination and feminine foeticide racket with the arrest of two accused — Shivalinge Gowda and Nayan Kumar — within the district headquarters city of Mandya, close to Mysuru, once they have been taking a pregnant girl for abortion in a automobile in October.

During interrogation, the 2 accused revealed a jaggery unit in Mandya, used as an ultrasound scan centre, from the place a police staff later seized the scan machine in October, which didn’t have a legitimate authorisation or different official paperwork, a senior police officer mentioned.