Supreme Court says police cannot investigate PCPNDT Act offences

The Supreme Court on Thursday held that police cannot investigate offences under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act. The Act prohibits the use of prenatal diagnostic techniques for determining the sex of a foetus. A Bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and N. Kotiswar Singh ruled that authorities designated under the law must take action in such cases. The court said the PCPNDT Act deals with matters that are technical and may require medical knowledge and sensitivity. "Police are not meant to be the investigators for the purposes of this Act," the Bench said, adding that police can only play a supplementary role as per the law's provisions. The restriction applies only to offences under the Act.