Bengaluru: The owner of Aasare Hospital in Nelamangala, Bengaluru Rural district, Ravikumar NR, is facing charges for allegedly conducting 74 illegal abortions without proper authorization and failing to maintain accurate abortion records. The case, which came to public attention on Wednesday, stems from incidents dating back to 2021, with a formal complaint filed on February 20. Presently, the accused hospital owner, Ravikumar NR, is reported to be absconding.

District Health and Family Welfare Officer Dr SR Manjunath initiated the legal proceedings after discovering irregularities during an inspection on January 26. The FIR revealed that the hospital, since 2021, had been conducting abortions without obtaining the necessary permission under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act.

Investigations unveiled that the hospital failed to maintain a proper MTP admission register, violating various sections of the MTP Act. Instead, abortion details were allegedly recorded in the operation theatre register. Further scrutiny exposed that, despite being registered under the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME), ultrasound reports were reportedly absent in 90 percent of the case sheets. Authorities seized the operation theatre register as part of the ongoing investigation.

Nelamangala town police have booked Ravikumar NR under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 312 (causing miscarriage), 313 (causing miscarriage without a woman’s consent), 315 (act done with the intent to prevent a child being born alive or to cause it to die after birth), and 316 (causing the death of a quick unborn child by an act amounting to culpable homicide). The legal action aims to address the serious allegations surrounding the illegal abortions and uphold the standards outlined in the MTP Act and KPME regulations.

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