Police cannot investigate offences under PCPNDT Act: Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of India ruled that police lack the authority to investigate offenses under the PCPNDT Act, which prohibits sex-selective prenatal diagnostics. The court emphasized that such cases require specialized medical knowledge and should be handled by designated authorities rather than standard police forces.
Why it matters
This clarifies the jurisdictional boundaries of law enforcement in sensitive medical-legal matters, ensuring that technical health regulations are enforced by qualified experts.
The Supreme Court on Thursday (August 20, 2026) held that police cannot investigate offences under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act.
The PCPNDT Act was enacted with the intent to prohibit the use of prenatal diagnostic techniques for determination of the sex of the foetus.
A Bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and N. Kotiswar Singh held that authorities designated under the law must take action in such cases.
The Supreme Court said the PCPNDT Act concerns matters that are technical and which 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 according to the provisions.
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