Belagavi: As many as 160 private clinics and polyclinics have been shut down in Belagavi district for operating without necessary registration and in violation of the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Act 2007.

One of the clinics is in Kagwad and Ainapur of Athani taluk. District Health Officer A.M. Naratti and District AYUSH Officer Suresh Dodwad recently raided some of the private clinics and scanning centres in Kagwad and Ainapur in the wake of the arrest of Babasaheb Khidrapure, principal accused in the illegal abortion racket unearthed in Mhaisal village of Sangli district in Maharashtra a fortnight ago.

Following reports that Dr. Khidrapure, a homoeopath was running the racket from his clinic at Mhaisal with the help of some doctors and clinics in and outside Maharashtra, doctors from the district visited several clinics to ascertain if there were cases of illegal sex determination. According to Dr. Dodwad here on Sunday, while a few clinics were closed recently, a majority of them were closed in the last four months.