C.Prakash is now in police custody.

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Andhra Pradesh, India: Even as we rue about the lowest ever child sex ratio of 914, revealed by the 2011 Census figures, we have dismally failed to bring about a change in the mindset of a section of the population which sees the girl child as a burden and ruthlessly resorts to indiscriminate violence against women.

In a shocking incident, a man in Kurnool town of Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday beat his pregnant wife to death for carrying a female foetus for the third consecutive time.

According to Kurnool Police, C. Prakash, a private firm employee residing in the Shankar Mutt area of the town, mercilessly beat his wife Surekha (26) after going through her ultra-sound report which revealed she was carrying a girl child.

Surekha, who was in her sixth month of pregnancy, could not withstand the beating and fell unconscious. Her parents immediately took her to the local government hospital, where she was declared brought dead.

Prakash fled the spot soon after the incident but was picked up by the police later.

He denied beating Surekha and accused his in-laws of falsely implicating him in the case.

"We are yet to ascertain whether Prakash assaulted Surekha with an intention to kill her or whether it was a spontaneous reaction after hearing the disappointing news that she is carrying a female foetus. We are investigating the case," inspector Upender Babu said.

The incident has also raised questions about the alleged flouting of the PNDT (pre-natal diagnostic techniques) Act which prohibits a diagnostic centre from conducting sex determination tests.

Investigations have revealed that Surekha had undergone the sex determination test at Pavan Clinic and Diagnostic Centre at Banaganapalli in Kurnool.

The clinic is run by Dr Sujata, who works in a government hospital.

"We are inquiring the antecedents of the scanning centre. We have ordered the cancellation of the centre's licence and will initiate criminal action against its owners," said Dr. P V Ramesh, principal secretary (health, medical and family welfare).

Surekha's mother Lakshmi Devi and sister Swaroopa alleged that Prakash had been harassing her since her first delivery in 2006 when she gave birth to a girl child.