Pune:Two more aides arrested in Kedgaon sex determination racket; police probe money trail and disposal of foetusesThe special investigation team (SIT) probing the alleged prenatal sex determination and female foeticide racket in Kedgaon, Daund, has arrested two more key accused who allegedly acted as agents, handled illegal financial transactions, and helped destroy evidence after abortions, the police said.The two accused, identified as Amit Bajirao Tengale, 27; and Sachin Vishwanath Kadam, 43 – both residents of Bori Pardhi in Daund taluka – were arrested on June 23 by Yavat police and the SIT. The accused were presented in court on Wednesday, and have been remanded to police custody till June 27 for further investigation, the police said.The latest arrests have revealed disturbing details about the alleged racket, which investigators believe operated through a network of agents, middlemen and healthcare professionals involved in illegal sex determination and female foeticide.According to the police, Tengale worked as a driver for the main accused, Annasaheb Giri, for nearly one-and-a-half years. During this period, he allegedly accompanied Giri to various locations where illegal prenatal sex determination was carried out. Investigators said that Tengale later became an active agent, bringing pregnant women for sex determination tests and earning substantial commissions for each referral. The money collected from pregnant women for illegal sex determination tests and abortions was allegedly transferred to Tengale’s personal bank account to avoid detection by law enforcement agencies. Investigators suspect that he played a direct role in disposing the aborted foetuses at secret locations in an attempt to destroy crucial evidence.The second accused, Kadam, allegedly worked as another key agent in the network. According to the SIT, Kadam arranged pregnant women for illegal sex determination procedures and allegedly helped channel and invest cash generated through the racket. Investigators suspect he assisted in converting the cash received from illegal activities into legitimate financial transactions through banks, cooperative credit societies and other investments. The latest arrests have opened up a new line of investigation into the financial transactions linked to the racket. The SIT is now examining whether proceeds from the alleged crimes were routed through multiple accounts and investment channels.Senior police inspector Santosh Tasgaonkar, attached to Yavat police station and heading the investigation, said that the police are working to identify the full extent of the network. “The investigation is focused on identifying all the women who may have undergone illegal sex determination tests, tracing the money trail, and establishing the role of every individual associated with the racket. No person involved in facilitating these crimes will be spared,” Tasgaonkar said.The Yavat police have registered a case under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, and Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, leading to multiple arrests.The SIT has informed the court that custodial interrogation of the two arrested accused is necessary to determine how many pregnant women were brought into the network, where the illegal proceeds were invested, and whether additional healthcare professionals were involved in the racket.