Five persons, including a couple, were arrested by Kandali police in Tirupattur for attempting to conduct sex determination tests at an illegal clinic.Police said the arrested persons were identified as K. Sivasakthi, 40, his wife, S. Jothi, 37, B. Govindan, 47, J. Ranjitham, 32, and G. Amala, 40. They belong to Tirupattur district.Initial inquiry revealed that, based on an alert to Tirupattur Superintendent of Police V. Shyamala Devi, special police teams were formed to nab suspects involved in the racket. As part of a routine check, police intercepted an autorickshaw at Paradeshipatti village near Tirupattur town and found eight expectant mothers from Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts.When police inquired about the purpose of their visit, they told police that they came in search of a clinic in the village. During the investigation, police said they found that a gang of agents in the district was involved in sex determination and sex selective abortions, especially for women from Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts. They brought expectant mothers from these districts through their local agents in those districts. They charge ₹15,000 to ₹20,000 for sex determination and ₹25,000 to ₹30,000 for abortion.Police said the autorickshaw driver was unable to locate the illegal clinic in the village that was facilitating sex determination tests. The driver sought help from a few residents in the village to know the actual location of the facility, but was unsuccessful as police intercepted the vehicle. Subsequently, the women in the auto told details of the agents to the Kandali police, who nabbed the suspects from their hideouts near Tirupattur town. A case was registered under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, 1994. The arrested persons were lodged at Central Prison in Vellore. The police arranged an alternative vehicle for the women to go back to their hometown. Further probe is under way.Published - August 14, 2025 04:00 am IST