Puranlal Sah, an assistant health worker at a health post in Dadarbaiya village of Morang, and his wife Punam, who works as an auxiliary nurse midwife at Koshi zonal hospital, were arrested when they were all set to conduct an illegal abortion in a room of Paradise hotel. Police also seized equipment and medicines used for abortion from them. [break]
Puranlal and Punam were arrested when they had just laid their client -- a 35 year old woman who approached them after getting pregnant as a result of an illicit affair -- on a plastic sheet spread on a bed. “Had we been late by just 10 minutes, they would have already finished their work,” said sub-inspector Firoj Chaudhari.
Police had raided the hotel acting on a tip-off that the Shah couple has been conducting illegal abortion. “Apart from legal action, we will also take departmental action against the Sah couple,” said Nabaraj Subba, Chief of District Public Health Office, Morang.
Although it was legalized by the government 10 years ago, abortion can be conducted only in health centers recognized by the government.
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