Indian origin doctor arrested for genital mutilation probe in US

New York: An Indian Origin doctor, Graduated from Gujarat’s Baroda University and his wife were arrested and charged for allegedly helping another Indian-origin doctor perform an illegal genial procedures on minor girls.

Fakhruddin Attar, 53, and his wife, Farida Attar, 50, both of Michigan state were charged with conspiring to perform female genital mutilations (FGM) on minor girls out of Fakhruddin Attar’s medical clinic in Livonia.

The Attars were arrested this morning. The charges come a week after Indian-origin doctor Jumana Nagarwala, 44, of Michigan, was charged with performing FGM on minor girls.

According to an online physician directory, Fakhruddin graduated from the Baroda Medical College in Gujarat, India in 1988.

The charges say that Ms Nagarwala used to perform the medical procedure on minor girls at Burhani Medical Clinic (BMC) in Michigan that was owned and operated by Fakhruddin. Fakhruddin’s wife was employed at BMC as an officer manager.

The investigation revealed that several minor girls informed forensic personnel that Ms Nagarwala had performed procedures on their genitals and one minor girl said Farida had been present when Ms Nagarwala did the FGM procedures.

According to the complaint, some of the minor victims travelled interstate to have the procedure performed. The complaint alleges that the FGM procedure was performed on girls who were approximately six to eight years old.

The number of girls under 18 at risk for FGM in the US has quadrupled since 1997. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 513,000 women and girls are at risk of FGM in the US.

FGM has been a crime under federal law since 1996 and is punishable by up to five years in prison, however FGM is not a crime in 26 US states, including Michigan.

The complaint filed against Ms Nagarwala last week had said federal agents reviewed her telephone records and further investigation revealed that parents of two minor girls had travelled to Michigan.

The girls were later interviewed by a forensic expert and one of the girls said she was told she was coming to Detroit for a “special” girls trip, but after arriving at the hotel, she learned that she and the other girl had to go to the doctor because “our tummies hurt.”

The girls had been taken to Ms Nagarwala, who performed the procedure on the girls.

The World Health Organisation said female genital mutilation comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.