Ten years ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Save the Daughter, Educate the Daughter' campaign to ensure that every daughter not only survives but thrives. This campaign was initiated in the state of Haryana, where giving birth to a daughter was considered a curse. A decade later, the picture hasn't changed much.
A Package of Two Lakh Rupees for Foeticide
Aaj Tak's sting operation reveals that the campaign to save daughters in Haryana is overshadowed by illegal clinics facilitating female foeticide. Our undercover cameras captured people running this illegal network admitting to the business of gender testing and female foeticide, offering packages for killing daughters in the womb. In Haryana, two lakh rupees are used to perform gender tests during pregnancy and carry out abortions if the child is female.
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The illegal testing of foetal gender impacts women the most. Not giving birth to a son subjects them to societal taunts, and they are forced into illegal abortions against their wishes, which can even be life-threatening. Countless daughters have lost their lives due to this treatment.
Choice Between Abortion or Divorce
To eradicate this social evil and improve the gender ratio in the country, including Haryana, the 'Save the Daughter, Educate the Daughter' campaign was launched. However, even after ten years, the mission shows faltering success after an initial impact. The testimony today comes from Pooja Soni, who married in 2015, the same year the slogan for saving daughters was coined. She had two daughters in seven years, and three years ago, when she was expecting another, she was given the choice between an abortion or a divorce.
Women in rural Haryana who give birth to daughters have no choice but to go back to gender determination tests in subsequent pregnancies. The tragic story of countless women like Pooja Soni remains unchanged.
Source: aajtak
The year 2019 was significant concerning gender ratio in Haryana, but by 2025, these numbers have significantly declined. Why is this happening? Aaj Tak's exclusive report will explain why the illegal procedure of foetal gender testing during subsequent pregnancies is becoming a systemic norm in Haryana after the birth of a first daughter. This report will unveil how the sinister business of eliminating daughters in the womb thrives in Haryana, with two lakh rupees packages.
A Law That Fails
The PC-PNDT Act was enforced in 1994 to prevent female foeticide, aiming to stop the determination and disclosure of an unborn child's gender, with severe penalties outlined for violations. However, it hasn't succeeded in saving daughters. Social worker Mohini narrates that many women have given birth to six or seven daughters in the quest for a son. When I visit villages and speak to these women, they avoid discussing this topic.
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Aaj Tak's team visited districts in Haryana with low gender ratios, and what we found was disturbing. Our first stop was Hisar, about 230 kilometers from Delhi, where a network was described to us as audacious and fearless, persisting despite repeated police actions. A notable example is Anantaram Barwal from Hisar, who has been jailed five times for foetal gender testing but still managed to contest Haryana elections on the Jannayak Janata Party ticket. It indicates how robust and ingrained this illegal network is in Haryana.
Falling Gender Ratio in Haryana
The attempt to change the mentality towards daughters isn't fully successful, as warned by statistics. In 2015, Haryana had 876 women per 1,000 men. By 2019, the gender ratio peaked at 923 girls per 1,000 boys. However, by 2025, this ratio declined to 909 girls per 1,000 boys. Last year alone, Haryana saw the birth of 516,402 children, with only 47.64% being girls, indicating Haryana is reverting to its infamous practices. How is this happening?
In Hisar, Haryana, Aaj Tak's correspondent Shreya Chatterjee is about to expose the racket of killing daughters in the womb. Our team found information about a woman named Usha working as a health assistant in AIDS prevention in Hisar Civil Hospital, but she is a player in the illegal gender testing racket. To expose this racket, we presented ourselves as a family from Panipat. We called Usha, assuring her that we wanted to discover the gender of our child.
Usha: Hello Reporter: Usha ji, this is Gaurav speaking. We wanted an ultrasound for my wife Usha: Okay Reporter: I came to the civil hospital Usha: What kind of ultrasound are you looking for? Reporter: I already have two daughters and don't want a third daughter Usha: Who gave you my number? Reporter: We met an employee outside the hospital Usha: From the Civil Hospital? Reporter: Yes, yes, from the Civil Hospital Hisar Usha: Alright
Assured by our conversation, Usha agreed to perform the illegal gender testing and elaborated on the entire business economics. She explained that a colored ultrasound would cost about two lakh rupees, specifying that the difference was that the colored one shows in full color.
Pre-Determined Rates for Everything
In the state where the 'Save the Daughter, Educate the Daughter' campaign was launched, the cost to decide the fate of a foetus ranges from 50,000 to 1 lakh rupees. Regular colored ultrasounds cost double. Our probe revealed that Usha is only a small link in this vast network. While talking to Usha, we uncovered that it wasn't just about gender testing; it was a full-package deal where rates for everything were pre-determined.
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So, openly in Haryana, an illegal business runs to destroy female foetuses. Daughters are being killed and pills are given for sons—all when there are stringent laws across India, including Haryana. Now, the question is why this racket for eliminating daughters is flourishing? One major reason is the use of new technology in such crimes. Ultra-light USG scanners, controlled by mobile phones, are being used unscrupulously, smuggled in from the Nepal border.
Rampant Foetal Gender Testing
Through this, illegal gender testing can be conducted anywhere, from rented rooms to moving vehicles. Raiding such a network mostly depends on fake patients. We spoke with a fake patient, Neelam, who risked her life to expose large-scale female foeticide in Haryana.
Neelam explained that it happens every day, with at least 5 to 10 cases daily, because the mentality hasn't changed. She said, "I know because I have lived through it. I am a widow, mother of three daughters. My mother-in-law abused me daily, saying I failed because I didn't birth a son. She claimed my husband's lineage ends because of me. But I survived. I can take care of my daughters only because my parents educated me. Even then, I face threats for exposing this crime, but I won't stop."
A Network Extending to Neighboring States
This illegal foetal gender testing racket is not limited to Haryana. It operates extensively in Punjab, Rajasthan, Delhi, and neighboring Uttar Pradesh. During our investigation, we managed to capture solid evidence of an illegal gender determination clinic in western Uttar Pradesh. This video was recorded by the Haryana PC-PNDT team 4 to 5 years ago as part of the case evidence. The doctor appearing in the hidden camera footage was arrested but got out on bail.
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In our investigation, we met an accused under the PC-PNDT Act, now out on bail. Rakesh Ahuja is a convict caught during a raid in a village in Hisar conducting illegal ultrasound procedures with two others. He attempted to escape and broke his leg jumping off a roof. Despite his injuries and legal issues, Ahuja runs a makeshift clinic. He denies involvement in illegal ultrasound testing but laments he gained nothing for his troubles that day.
Business Operates From Inside Jail
When asked how his associate managed to escape, Ahuja claimed the police accepted a 10 lakh rupee bribe to release him. He further revealed how notorious operators like Dr. Anant Ram continue their trade fearlessly. According to him, Anant Ram, currently in jail, manages to coordinate ultrasound procedures from behind bars.
Imagine one who has been jailed five times for foetal gender testing, allegedly running the racket from jail. This raises questions about possible collusion with the administration. Is this why the 'Save the Daughter' campaign isn't achieving its goals? How do the enemies of daughters operate such a blatant business despite stringent laws and governmental intent?
Also Read: Save the Daughter is Successful, But Educate the Daughter Fails... 30% of Women Still Lack Access to Education
During our inquiry into the declining gender ratio in Haryana, we participated in a raid in Ambala. It was a dangerous mission that pitted us directly against the criminals behind this inhuman racket. On the Punjab-Haryana border lies a small village, Barwala, where a notorious broker promised illegal gender determination testing. We met the PC-PNDT raid team at Ambala Court. A pregnant police constable joined the operation, and Aaj Tak correspondent Shreya Chatterjee posed as a dummy patient.
A Shocking Raid Scene
In the raid, others presented as worried family members. As we neared the designated location, the meeting place suddenly changed. The broker directed us to a new site in Punjab's Mohali—the village of Dera Bassi. Guided by a man on a motorcycle, we were led into a simple house. A woman in bright yellow salwar asked us to wait in the living room. We sat in silence, then a masked man appeared, instructing patients to enter the clinic. First, a female police constable posing as a fake patient entered.
Meanwhile, they collected advance payment from us and confiscated our phones. When the woman broker returned, she revealed it was a boy, saying they would test again. Next in line as fake patient number two was Aaj Tak correspondent Shreya Chatterjee. But before her turn came, the raid team stormed in.
Lack of Coordination Between States
On seeing the team, those present tried to hide the stethoscope behind a cupboard and conceal the laptop. Yet the raiding squad captured the culprits with all evidence—a bogus ultrasound testing scam helmed by relatives of this female broker, neither qualified as doctors nor lab technicians. They used stethoscopes and hair gel to fake USG reports with reliance on Google and YouTube.
However, we discovered why confidence in killing daughters remains high. Three hours post-raid, Punjab's health department team arrived. Punjab police showed up five hours later. Crucial evidence mysteriously disappeared before being seized. Worse still, no FIR was lodged 48 hours after collecting evidence and statements.
Haryana CM Promises Action
For a decade, Haryana has carried out inter-state raids under 'Save the Daughter, Educate the Daughter.' But lack of coordination with other states' departments undermines these efforts at cross-border regions, as those eliminating daughters often operate near borders. Neighboring states demand prior notification before participating in external raids, often tipping off suspects who then escape. In clinics of border towns, daughters are erased before daylight. Female foeticide often records as a crime without punishment.
Responding to Aaj Tak's sting operation, Haryana Chief Minister Naib Singh Saini promised strict action against anyone involved in such wrongdoings. He stated efforts involved society, NGOs, and village heads. He assured action against those shown as participants in the sting operation.
