Forward Vision

Introduction : The Bombay High Court recently addressed a batch of petitions challenging the quashing of an order by an Additional Sessions Judge under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994 (PCPNDT Act). The case involved a Kirtankar, a public speaker, who allegedly propagated techniques for conceiving a male child during a religious discourse. The court examined whether the statements made constituted an offense under the PCPNDT Act and determined that the communication in the religious discourse qualified as an advertisement. This blog explores the court's ruling and its implications for the trial. Background : The respondent, a Kirtankar with influence in rural and semi-urban areas, addressed a gathering where he shared extracts from religious and Ayurvedic books, claiming they provided techniques for conceiving a male child. He asserted that sexual relations on even dates would result in a male child, while odd dates wou...