Pune: A tragic incident unfolded in Wadapuri village of Indapur taluka, where a 23-year-old woman, Rutuja Rahul Dhotre, lost her life due to excessive bleeding following a forced abortion.

The family allegedly decided to terminate the pregnancy after discovering that the unborn child was a girl. This has sparked outrage and concern over the ongoing issue of gender discrimination in rural Maharashtra.

Rutuja Dhotre was several months pregnant when her in-laws pressured her for an abortion upon learning the fetus was female. Prenatal sex determination, though illegal in India, was reportedly carried out at a private clinic.

Following the procedure, the family had the abortion performed, and the unborn fetus was buried. Tragically, Rutuja suffered from severe hemorrhaging post-abortion and passed away shortly after.

The incident came to light when Rutuja's brother, Vishal lodged a formal complaint with the Indapur police, accusing her husband, Rahul Dhotre (28), her mother-in-law Laxmi Dhotre, and her father-in-law Bhimrao Dhotre (50), of being responsible for the abortion and her subsequent death.

Responding to the complaint, the Indapur police have arrested Rahul and Bhimrao Dhotre. However, Laxmi Dhotre, the mother-in-law, is currently absconding, and efforts to trace her are underway.

The case has sparked an outcry, with activists and citizens decrying the deep-rooted gender bias that still prevails in many parts of India, leading to the selective termination of female fetuses.