Maharashtra Doctor Arrested for Taking ₹4,500 Bribe From Pregnant Woman for Abortion Kit

A government doctor posted at a sub-district hospital in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) after she was allegedly caught accepting a ₹4,500 bribe from a pregnant woman in exchange for providing a government-allotted abortion pill kit , officials said on Thursday.

The accused, Dr Kanchan Shirish Madar , 48, is a Class 1 medical officer posted at the Sub-District Hospital in Kamathe under Chiplun taluka. According to ACB officials, the complainant wished to undergo a medical termination of pregnancy and approached the doctor on June 3 seeking the required medication.

During the consultation, Dr Madar allegedly demanded between ₹4,000 and ₹5,000 to issue the abortion kit, despite it being supplied through the government healthcare system. Unwilling to pay the bribe, the woman filed a complaint with the Ratnagiri unit of the ACB. After verifying the allegation, officials organised a trap operation.

The anti-graft team allegedly caught the doctor red-handed while accepting marked currency notes worth ₹4,500 from the complainant inside her private four-wheeler . She was immediately taken into custody and later placed under arrest.

A case has been registered against the doctor under the Prevention of Corruption Act at Chiplun police station. The operation was carried out under the supervision of senior ACB officers, and further investigation is underway.